April 24, 2022—I recently had the delightful opportunity to be interviewed by Gennean Scott, the Broadway League’s Director of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, for the podcast, The Black Business of Broadway.
The Black Business of Broadway is a bi-monthly, audio program developed to highlight the stories; “how to” steps, as well as the successes of the Black administrators, producers, directors, managers, creatives, and legends of Broadway. Sponsored by the Broadway League, the national trade association for the theater industry, the podcast offers aspiring performing arts professionals and arts administrators a blueprint for perseverance and success.
Gennean asked incisive questions which afforded me the opportunity to reflect on the phenomenal trajectory of my career. I also was able to share my current vision and efforts to ensure that the DNA of our national performing and visual arts community is Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Access. You can hear my interview at this link.
I applaud Gennean’s efforts to not only create a resource for future Black arts administrators and aspiring Broadway actors, producers, or directors, but also to document the history of the behind-the-scenes contributors on whose shoulders this legacy was built. I encourage you to listen to the other interviews Gennean has conducted, which feature an incredible array of Black professionals with a vast wealth of Broadway experience and knowledge, including James Monroe Iglehart, Kendra Whitlock Ingram, Christopher Harrington, Toni R. Israel and Lady Irene Gandy.
The readers of Arts & Culture Connection may recall the interview I conducted with Gennean at the end of last year. Since joining the Broadway League in July 2021, she has hit the ground running. I believe the The Black Business of Broadway podcast is one of the wonderful results of her concerted efforts.
As always, I would like to know what you think. What are the milestones of Black Broadway history that you think should be documented? I invite you to share your thoughts and comments below.