Jacob Lawrence- STRUGGLE: From the History of the American People

Jacob Lawrence- STRUGGLE: From the History of the American People

On exhibit now until  February 2021 at the Birmingham Museum of Art, is the work of Jacob Lawrence.

 Lawrence's innovative work was to consist of 60 panels depicting the struggles in American history from the American Revolution to World War I. In the end there were 30 panels. Lawrence's abstract, cubist works gives his impression of the "myths" of American history. He includes the contributions of people of color lest they be erased and omitted from history.  

The Library
Jacob Lawrence 1960 

Research was done by the artist at the 135th Street Branch of the New York Public library. Lawrence was constantly in the eye of the FBI because of his social and political views regarding America freedom. 

Margaret Cochran Corbin is portrayed to the left with a pistol in her belt and ready to (wo)man the cannon after her cannoneer husband was mortally wounded.

Representatives of the 13 original colonies debate deeply and profusely on the meaning of the Preamble to the Constitution and how it will be executed.  The seven swords represent the seven states ready to ratify the Constitution.  Choosing not to display a  "happily-ever-after" ending Lawrence displays conflict in which enslaved Americans gained neither freedom, citizenship or the right to vote.

The Burr–Hamilton duel is one of the most famous personal conflicts in American history. It was a pistol duel which arose from long-standing personal bitterness and political that developed between the two men over the course of several years. Tension rose with Hamilton's journalistic defamation of Burr's character over a long period of time. (Wikipedia)

President Jefferson encourages explorers Lewis & Clark to treat the Native Americans with mutual respect. Sacajawea (in red), the translator for Lewis & Clark  is reunited with her brother, Shoshone Chief Cameahwait who she has not seen since childhood. Sacajawea's raveling braid indicates the undoing of relations between the Natives and white American oppression.

In 1956 Birmingham, Alabama opened the Booker T. Washington library later renamed the Smithfield Library.

I know this library well, as it was the one I used during my elementary years 1960-?) for much of my schoolwork. Since I lived in the area I could walk to the library. Later my parents bought a set of encyclopedias which cut back on a lot of travel and time doing research. 

Ms. Reba Williams is now head librarian at the Smithfield Library. Scan the code for recommended readings by Ms. Williams.

Wicked

I'd wanted to see WICKED for some time.  The traveling tour came to Birmingham in July. It was magnificent. It is infused with details.  Costumes, special effects, talent, the whole ball of wax. I could understand Elphaba's evil persona after experiencing an unhappy and unloved childhood and adulthood. 

SPOILER ALERT
It is infused with humor and also political and social themes. Adultery, illegitimacy, discrimination, animal cruelty, government corruption, back-biting, distrust, physical disability, and mental anguish. 
 . 

When Elphaba is born green,  her father, Frex  is disappointed and ashamed. We (the audience) discover that Elphaba's mother has been having an affair and her paramour has given her a green elixir to drink during her pregnancy. 

For the audience animal lovers, it's exciting to see animals  able to speak and function in a human world. Later  political forces in Oz conspire and succeed in taking away speech from the animals. Elphaba wants to fight against this but she pretty much stands alone.

When  Elphaba's sister,  Nessarose is born,  she is the apple of their father's eye. Because Frex insisted on the mother, Melena consuming  a particular flower so that the second child wouldn't be born green, the sister is unable to walk and Elphaba is made her caregiver. 

Preparing for college, Nessarose is given a pair of silver slippers by their father. Elphaba receives nothing. Though she is smart and capable, Elphaba is looked down upon, teased,  shunned and ignored because of her color and her plainness. College is where they meet Galinda who later changes her name to Glinda. I won't dwell on Glinda other than saying she was your typical self-centered,  rich, snotty, popular, mean girl. BUT, later Glinda and Elphaba become friends after they become roommates in college.

A view of the stage before the musical begins

 

The head school mistress, Madam Morrible,  though  sees something special in Elphaba and takes her under her wing grooming her and teaching her the ways of wizardry. By and by Madam Morrible gives
Elphaba a book, The Grimmerie,  to decipher that no one else  has been able to do.  Elphaba is able to decode the symbols. It is then discovered that Madam Morrible has really been doing all of this for self gain. She takes her findings and Elphaba to The Wizard who has limited powers. The Wizard wants Elphaba to give wings to all of his monkeys so that they can act as spies to the animal kingdom. Right about here is where we find out that The Wizard is really Elphaba's birth father.

Elphaba realizes  that the school mistress and the Wizard are the ones who took away the animals speech and that she has been duped. Determined not to be a part of this evil,  Elphaba takes the Grimmerie and hides in a tower. Since they have developed a friendship, Glinda is with her.  Elphaba asks Glinda to fly away with her so that they can rid Oz of wrong and evil doings and restore it to an orderly government. Glinda won't go because she is a shallow person and afraid of losing her popularity.

And that's just ACT I
That's all ***