Harris-Stowe brings King, Malcolm X together
Ryan Cunningham keeps grabbing for the hair that is no longer there.
The dreadlocks he had for six years, which once reached to his shoulder blades, are gone. The short cropped haircut in its place is still a novelty. But for Cunningham, 22, the cut was about sacrifice. About discipline. About becoming Malcolm X, if only for a weekend.
Williams, left, and Cunningham
Cunningham takes on the role of the civil rights leader in a production of “The Meeting,” a fictional account of a debate between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. The play is set in a Harlem hotel on Valentine’s Day in 1965, a week before Malcolm X was murdered.
The play at Harris-Stowe State University opens tonight, with additional performances Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
For Cunningham, he could not have wished for a better role.
“Growing up, Malcolm X was my hero,” he said. Cunningham, a sophomore, said he grew up in a family with both Muslim and Christian members and was familiar with the teachings of the Nation of Islam.
Playing opposite Cunningham is Ervin Williams, taking on the role of King.
“The play has humanized them. You learn a lot about the person, not the icon,” said Williams, 26, a senior. “They had the same goals, but different ways of obtaining those goals.”
Director Gregory Carr said presenting the 1987 one-act play by Jeff Stetson now is as timely as ever.
“During his historic campaign, President Barack Obama quoted both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.,” Carr said. “Let us not forget these two national treasures, revisit their legacies and embrace their ideals as we march toward a brighter tomorrow.”
Cunningham said he misses the dreadlocks he cut off two weeks ago but he will not likely grow them back. He says it will be easier to nab future acting roles with short-cropped hair.
For reservations, call 314-340-5975. Tickets are $5. Show times are 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday in the university’s Emerson Performance Center.
(1 votes, average: 1 out of 5)
Loading ...
Doug Moore has been a reporter with the Post-Dispatch since February 2000. For the last two years, he has covered diversity and demographics. 
I bet that would be an interesting show.
Actually, in the ’60’s somewhere between ‘64 - ‘67, the two civil rights leaders DID have a discourse via television. I don’t remember exactly which network or what the name of the show was, but it was the only time the two publicly had a discourse between one another. At the time of the discourse, the two of them had expressed opposing views regarding the means (non-violence vs. “any means necessary”) that should be used to reach the end (equality and justice for African-Americans). Those that arranged this televised meeting possibly expected it to devolve into vehement and emotional disagreement. To the chagrin of those who may have been only observers of or against the movement, the two leaders refused to denigrate each other in any way on that show. I recall that one or perhaps even the both of them made a statement to that effect as well. For me, it was one of the proudest moments of the civil rights movement. Is there anyone else out there who remembers this?
Actually, the show I’m talking about probably took place prior to ‘64, perhaps between ‘62 - ‘64. Anyone remember?
X is a documented racist and supremacist! This would be the same as having a celebration for the Grand Wizard of the Klu Klux Klan.
Malcolm X was what we today call a thug! Anyone whom thinks that he is to be look up to is doing the same if you find David Duke as a role model.
Too much time and energy is placed on those who the media exploited. You want the Black race to join in with this country. Cleanup your neighborhoods,and cleanup your schools that your children attend. And have two people raise children that you bring into the world.
Do that and I’ll be the first to live next door to a family that shares my ideals and beliefs.
OK, I get it that it is African American History month. I also understand that the only reason this blog was created was because Obama was elected. Can we at least have a little diversity in the topics covered here? Let’s see some discussion about other races. Let’s hear about the issues that us so called whites have.
If you are intent on only talking about one race, then at least cover that with a little more balance. Why we don’t hear anything positive about conservative blacks seems a bit fishy doesn’t it? Who on this blog has heard of Michael Steele? Why don’t we hear more about Clarence Thomas?
This post certainly is a worthy event, but perhaps it belongs in the Entertainment blog instead of a race discussion.
I agree with Think, you guys aren’t balanced at all, you want to open up a conversation about race, but it seems like you focus mainly one just one race the blacks. Maybe that is why you aren’t getting the results you wanted, because your discussion has been so one sided from the start.
Uh oh! There’s another Think! on the block. Better stamp out white awareness before it gets out of hand or else more whites will wake to find that the country they created has been systematically been destroyed by four decades of handouts and entitlements. Next thing you know whites are going to quit their undying love affair for the genocidal state of Israel and then Holy Moses! they might start demanding that their tax dollars be spent in their own homeland for a change! Can’t have that!!
Malcolm X and King has as much in common as Hitler and Gahndi.
Oh let’s all hail the black racist Malcolm X that said “the only good white is a dead white!”