‘Black Artists for Black Lives’ to rally in downtown Orlando
Danielle Harris is tired of racially based assumptions in the entertainment industry.
“I’ve been put in the box many Black artists are put in,” said the Daytona-based performer, who has been told “Make it more ‘urban,’ put more sass in it” or, when singing, “Take it to church.”
The expressions are not-so-coded ways of asking Black performers to behave with the stereotypical mannerisms white audience members might expect.
Elisabeth Christie first encountered the phenomenon at age 13, when a teacher told her not to be “too ethnic” while auditioning for a play at her South Florida middle school.
On Sunday, the two performers will lead a downtown march titled “Black Artists for Black Lives.”
While the pair emphasized their support for the Black Lives Movement’s focus on police brutality, they said artists face their own challenges — and have their own contributions to make in the quest for racial equality.
“We wanted to shine a light on one specific issue — and that’s the arts,” said Harris, who has acted at Theater West End in Sanford and St. Luke’s United Methodist Church theater series in Orlando.
Nationally, Black Broadway performers and other artists have taken to social media with personal stories of unequal treatment, while many theaters and other cultural organizations have issued statements supporting the Black Lives Matter movement alongside promises to examine and improve on their own actions.
Along with spotlighting areas in which the entertainment field needs to improve, the four-hour Black Artists for Black
Lives event will celebrate the contributions made by people of color to the nation’s culture.
“We’ll acknowledge the difficulties we face, but also uplift us,” said Christie, who has performed at Universal Studios, the Garden Theatre and Orlando Shakes.
The march will start at 2 p.m. at the East Robinson Street-North Eola Drive corner of Lake Eola Park.
Marchers will travel along Robinson, Rosalind, Amelia and Orange with a stop at City Hall before returning to the park near the amphitheater at Rosalind Avenue and Washington Street.
Speakers and singers are part of the four-hour program, said Christie, pointing out that raising their voices in speech and song is what entertainers do.
“Artists have an amazing platform, the arts are everywhere,” she said. “We have a duty as artists to use that platform to show what’s going on in the world today.”
Participants are encouraged to display their talents.
‘I want everyone to bring their art: Bring your drums, if you do hair or nails, bring your clothes, bring your canvas, and especially bring your voice,” Harris said.
You don’t have to be a performer or a person of color to join the event, the organizers said.
Christie said the experience could be a learning experience for those not in the industry. “Ask questions,” she said. “That’s what we want.”
The march’s community nature is demonstrated in part by how Orange County’s Arts & Cultural Affairs Office is helping provide coronavirus protection, such as masks and sanitizer, said Christie, adding that Orlando Shakes also has been instrumental in organizing the event.
“We want everybody to come,” Harris said. “We always want everybody to stand together.” Find me on Twitter @matt_on_arts or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Want more news of theater and other arts? Go to OrlandoSentinel.com/arts