April 2008
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Vol 3, Issue 4
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In the Black
Newsletter
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Fresno: A National Stop for Black Arts? |
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Michael Eric Dyson comes to Fresno
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Professor Dyson visits Fresno City College
 Michael Eric Dyson is one of the most profound intellectuals of our time. Dyson is a well sought after speaker and commentator regarding race, politics and religion. This Barack Obama supporter and often TV media and newspaper contributor, will be at Fresno City College this Friday, April 25.
Dyson has taught at DePaul University, Chicago Theological Seminary, the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia University and
Brown University, before going to the University of Pennsylvania in
2003; there he was the Avalon Professor of Humanities.
On July
3, 2007 Georgetown University announced the appointment of Dyson as
University Professor. He teaches theology, English, and African
American studies. Dyson has published 16 books including his most recent, April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Death and How It Changed America.
Friday, April 25, 200812 Noon Fresno City College- Gym FREE admission Click here for more information |
The Best of Black Fresno Survey
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You should have received earlier this month the first survey conducted by In the Black to
gain our reader's perspective of who is best serving Fresno's black
community. We believe this is the first local email survey of its kind
targeting the opinions of black Fresnans. That is why I am asking to
you help us get the information out about this survey to make the
results as representative as possible of Fresno's black professional,
knowledge workers and leadership cyber community.
Some may ask, why is this person or organization on there and this
other is not? While we understand that is the survey is not perfect, we
have incorporate mechanisms throughout the survey to captures
names/organizations from participants that were not included.
In addition, the results of the survey will be published via In the Black and other media outlets. Feel free to forward the survey email or the link and text below.
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Listen in to Valley Black Talk - 88.1 FM
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 Valley Black Talk - Every Monday at 8 PM.
Listen every Monday between 8-10 PM as Valley Black Talk discusses education, economics, criminal justice and community issues from an African-American perspective.
Co-host: Tate Hill, Jean Kennedy, Julia Dudley- Najeib, and Mel Sanders.
Listener call-in number is (559) 266-8888.
Download or play the program from Radio Blog Talk.
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Porgy & Bess presented by the Fresno Grand Opera
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 The Fresno Grand Opera for the first time will perform George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess, May 2 and 4 at the William Sayoran Theatre. It was written in 1935 as an adpation to DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy set in the fictitious Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina. Though hearld as one of the great American folk opera, for many years was not well recieved by black or white audiences in the United States. It was not accepted as a legitimate opera until 40 years later when performed by the Houston Grand Opera.
Ira Gershwin, lyrist for the opera, stipulated that only blacks be allowed to play the lead
roles when the opera was performed in the United States, launching the
careers of several prominent opera singers. During the South African aparthied era, several South African theatre companies planned to put on all-white productions of Porgy & Bess. Ira Gershwin, as heir to his brother, consistently refused to permit these productions to be staged.
Those same conditions stand today. Fresno Grand Opera retained three black leads along with doing a local casting call for African-American singers and actors.
For ticket information, call 559.442.5699 or online
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Black Arts @ The Tower
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 The Tower District has always been the eclectic center of the city from pooch parades, classic car shows to a primary site for black arts. In the past several months, the Tower Theater has hosted a number of black films and documentaries as part of the Fresno FilmWorks series including 2008 NAACP Image Award winning Honey Dripper (March 2008) and the Price of Sugar (February 2008). In September 2007, the local nonprofit that brings independent, experimental and foreign movies to Fresno showed Killer of Sheep, which examines the black Los Angeles ghetto of Watts in the mid-1970s. The movie was selected as one of the "100 Essential Films" of all time by the National Society of Film Critics.
In addition, the Theatre has hosted the Dallas Dance Company and the 2008 CSU Fresno Step Show along a number of jazz concerts.
But black entertainment, arts and culture is not limited to the Tower. On May 14th, the 50-voice strong Morehouse Glee Club will be in town at St. Rest Baptist Church. If you're not ready to join the glee club, participate in the CSU Fresno Summer Arts Gospel Singing & Conducting Made Easy course that will include guest workshop artists Edwin Hawkins and James Hall.
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Food for Thought:
A spirit of harmony can only survive if each of us remembers, when
bitterness and self-interest seem to prevail, that we share a common
destiny.
Barbara Jordan
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| In the Black, a publication of the Urban Knowledge Blog
Disclaimer: This is an editorial publication. The comments above are solely of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views or ideologies of any organization or person outside of Urban Knowledge. If there is a numerical or factual error, please inform us and we will publicly rectify it via email. Comments received may be republished, unless you indicate otherwise, for the betterment of other readers. Thank You. |
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