The final act of Martin: A Ballet By Gordon Parks takes place after the death of Dr. King . John Jones (Dr Martin Luther King) Sheila Rohan (Rosa Parks) and James E. Murphy (Assassin). Continue reading
Category: Civil Right
11/5/24 O&A NYC ELECTION DAY 2024: America Keep Your Word !
A soliloquy from a Black man from the 1960’s about the injustice of the American system. He makes a simple yet poignant request “America needs to keep its word”. Liberty and justice for who? You? Me? Continue reading
3/12/24 O&A NYC CELEBRATING WOMEN ON INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Fannie Lou Hamer Fought For The Rights Of Black Americans
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In 1962, Fannie Lou Hamer was ready to cast her first ballot – but Mississippi wasn’t ready to let her vote. Denied registration, she fought for rights for Black Americans. Continue reading
2/4/24 O&A NYC GOSPEL SUNDAY: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
Keep Your Eyes on the Prize is a traditional song Gospel Plow also know as Hold On. The song became influential during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s.
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11/27/23 HOLLYWOOD MONDAY- REVIEW: RUSTIN
By Alex Smith Jr.
I went to an advance screening of the film RUSTIN last night (Oct. 12, 2023). It was opening the 35th Anniversary of the LGBTQ+ Annual Film Festival here in NYC. This film is a triumph plain and simple. I am trying to hold back from using to many superlatives to lavish on this film. Continue reading
8/21/23 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
In small-town Alabama in 1932, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) is a lawyer and a widower. He has two young children, Jem and Scout. Atticus Finch is currently defending Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), a Black man accused of raping a white woman. Meanwhile, Jem and Scout are intrigued by their neighbors, the Radleys, in particular the mysterious, seldom-seen Boo Radley.
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5/3/23 O&A NYC MILESTONES- HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMES BROWN: Live at the Boston Garden, April 5, 1968
On April 5th 1968, James Brown gave a free concert at The Boston Garden which became a thing of legend.  Only 24 hours earlier civil rights activist Dr Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated resulting in widespread violence across the United States. The mayor of Boston was persuaded to let the concert go ahead and it was broadcast live across the city by WGBH-TV. Continue reading
2/28/23 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: The Wade’s Fight For Human Rights at the NAACP Image Awards ’23
Truth speaking to power and the world Dwanye Wade and his wife Dabrielle Union share their admiration for their daughter Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade while receiving the President’s Award  at the 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards ’23. Continue reading
3/14/22 O&A NYC BLACK FACTS: The Tuskegee Experiment
From 1932 to 1972, the United States Public Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention operated an extremely unethical medical experiment on the effects of outcomes of untreated syphilis. During the Tuskegee Experiment hundreds of poor Black men from Macon County, Alabama were enrolled in the study, and treatment for syphilis was withheld from them. Continue reading
1/17/21 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: MLK’s Promised Land (1967–1968 America’s Civil Rights Movement)
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stakes out new ground for himself and the rapidly fragmenting civil rights movement. Continue reading