Three students from Ole Miss University posed in the dead of night in front of the bullet-riddled Emmett Till Memorial. Their bodies holding the guns cast eerie shadows on the backdrop of the Emmett Till Memorial. The source of the lighting and identity of the photographer/s remain a mystery. As they posed on Centre Stage with their prized trophy, none of them seemed to be aware that America the Theatre where they performed was burning down.
Emmett Till, a black boy, did not sacrifice his life to advance the causes of Civil Rights. Emmett, barely fourteen years old, was falsely accused of whistling at a white woman, and he was brutally beaten beyond recognition, and his body dumped in a swamp. The death of Emmett Till is said to have been the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. The woman who accused Emmett and the three men who brutally murdered Emmett did not realize that tragedy playing on Center Stage of America the Theatre, was burning down.
In this particular scene, the three men holding guns with their shadows cascading across Emmett ’s Memorial represent the main characters in this tragedy on Center Stage. These three young men rehearsed and internalized their lines of hatred and racism so well that they become the characters they were supposed to be playing. These three young men were so well-rehearsed and trained; they became lost in their performances and did not realize America the Theatre was burning down. But they are only part of the script.
The camera crew, the director, and the stagehands memorialize this scene on film. The audience attending this performance cheer and applaud this tragedy as if they were watching a Disney movie. This group of participants in this tragedy gives legitimacy to and validation of the disaster on Center Stage. However, in their enthusiasm to reminisce of an era long past its usefulness and relevance, they inadvertently add fuel to the fire. They allow America the Theatre, to burn down. But they did not write the script.
Perhaps, the most significant contribution to this tragedy is the screenwriter. The screenwriter tells the story, knows the central thread from the beginning to the end of the story. The writer chooses the words for each act and scene. The writer decides the people s/he prefers to bring the script to life. In essence, the writer is the person who gives life to the idea and oversees the entire production. The writer sets the tone and mood of the whole show. However, in this tragedy, the writer is aware that America the Theatre, is burning down, a twist to the story often shared but easily dismissed as mythical.
Unfortunately, this tragedy in full production on Center Stage of America, the Theatre, is not a single production. This tragedy is a franchise of hate and intolerance currently playing in every corner and hamlet of America. The screenwriter has given free unlimited use to anyone willing to promote this tragedy. Though Center Stages are burning in every theatre across the country, there is still hope that the attendees might feel the warmth of love and tolerance and use them to douse the flames of racism and bigotry. There is yet an opportunity to salvage America the Theatre.
Stan Brooks, PhD