UC Merced students will offer a window into race and racism through a unique theater presentation both on campus and in the Merced community on June 30.
Sponsored by the university’s Center for the Humanities and School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, “Voices of the Revolutionary Theatre Collective” will explore the history of embedded racism through excerpts from the plays of Luis Valdez, Genny Lim, Amiri Baraka, Marvin X, Ben Caldwell and other prominent authors from the Chicano, Asian and Black Arts Movements.
“Each of these movements were prominent in the 1960s and 1970s, and helped to give birth to the Third World Liberation Movement seeking to address the inequalities within our social system on a global and national level,” said graduate student Kim McMillon, the event’s organizer.
The first performance, at 11 a.m., will be on campus in the Dr. Lakireddy Auditorium. The second will be at 6 p.m. in the Merced Multicultural Arts Center at 645 W. Main St. Both performances are free and open to the public.
The students involved are from the UC Merced Global Arts Studies Program. The production is part of their “Arts 115: Theatre & Social Responsibility” summer course, which explores why the literature of these movements is still relevant and why racism continues to be a major issue within the United States.
“The School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts strongly supports research projects, creative works and teaching activities that promote critical dialogue about race and racism on campus and in the community,” said Jill Robbins, the school’s dean. “We are a proud sponsor of this production.”
For information, contact Kim McMillon at kmcmillon@ucmerced.edu.
