“at Center Stage, we don’t give interviews at social events.” Told to me today (June 29, 2021). And she is black, as I am. Would she have said that to TMZ (television)?
Center Stage Baltimore gets money from us citizens; how then can information be privatized, withheld, scrubbed, only letting the public know, what Center Stage wants to be known?
I received an invitation to an event entitled, AFTER THOUGHTS, hosted by Dr.Durryle Brooks. It was RSVP, to attend. This event came under the heading of Artistic Partnerships and Innovation. He was accompanied by Professor NKIRU NNAWULEZI, (University of MD.) a researcher on gender-based violence.
What were they talking about? Primarily, how blacks of the LBGTQ community in Baltimore, survived the pandemic.
This is my opportunity to get specifics. Dr. Brooks, (black), grew up in Cherry Hill, (Baltimore Sun, Jan. 21,2021) and became a recent member of the Baltimore City School Board.
I did not find his speech in anyway related to the dramatic arts, instead it was about black men and women of a nontraditional sexual orientation, now emerging from cooking at home, taking care of pets, plants, and finally, able to show their pride.
We stepped outside for the video interview, then he bawked. He will do an audio interview, but not a video. What! This is DURRYLE, the wonder kid, champion of the less privileged. He is reneging to embrace what he was talking about a few moments ago: removing income inequality, erasing gender discrimination, embracing equal opportunity for all!
“Let me check with Center Stage before I do this.” Dr. Durryle Brooks. I felt like an albino child. (what is he, white, black?) They were all whispering at a distance; the Center Stage staffer, who sent the invitation, came over and said, she was going to ask Media department to talk to me about my request. Refreshments were not on the house, so I bought some and waited. They were still ignoring me, so I called out to one of the department heads; she did not want to, but did. “Oswald this is new for some people, let me get Marketing.”
Marketing, also a black woman gave me the opening statement of this article.
I walked out.
I was discriminated by Dr. Brooks, and by all the officials representing Center Stage, and they are all black. I have covered Center Stage for decades, going back to the days when I wrote for THE EXAMINER. Why were they lying to me? If I am supporting your cause with plaudits, I get the “good job” accolade, now I am a blindsided.
Two television stations, (WJZ and WBAL) two blocks away, did not appear at this event, neither the Baltimore Sun, let alone, the Washington Post. What would have been their response, had I been with CNN or the New York Times?
No, I’m the little independent guy. I thought this was about freeing the marginalized, they elevated themselves and dumped me.
Ninety percent of the persons attending this event, seemed well educated, they need no help. How can the not so well off, like most residents in Cherry Hill, where there is no WHOLE FOODS Market, believe in these masqueraders?
Theculturepagedotcom 