'Fannie Lou' Musical

Community Connections

The Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, which benefitted from the Oct. 9, 2014 performance of "Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall," is not the first community entity to benefit from Fannie Lou performances. In the spirit of Fannie Lou Hamer's grassroots community service, the musical has made a concerted effort to reach out to and connect with community-based organizations. You can read about a few of those connections below. For the the centennial celebration of Fannie Lou Hamer's birth at Yale University this year, we've partnered with the Greater New Haven NAACP to donate a portion of proceeds from ticket sales to the organization in support of its voting rights activities. You can read more about the Greater New Haven NAACP here.



BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE

BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY

On April 4, 2013, Felicia lectured about Fannie Lou Hamer and the musical Fannie Lou at the invitation of Bloomfield College. Adjunct Professor Glenmore Bembry had attended the sold-out world premiere of Fannie Lou and thought Mrs. Hamer’s inspiring story is something his students should know. Felicia was delighted to accept the invitation.

"Any time I get an opportunity to talk about Fannie Lou Hamer and her contribution to our democracy, I will jump at the chance," says Felicia. "Professor Bembry and the other faculty members present during the class made me feel extremely welcome and made my visit to the school very enjoyable and memorable."

The class for which Felicia served as guest lecturer was Social Responsibility, a required core course for sophomores. There are more than 100 students in the class.

Bloomfield College was established in 1868 as a four-year, independent and coeducational higher-learning institution. It is located 15 miles outside of New York City, in suburban Bloomfield, New Jersey. More than 60 majors are offered at the college, at which more than 2,000 students are enrolled.

The Social Responsibility course explores responsibility and justice in a multicultural society.  It is team taught so that students experience a broad approach to the topic of social responsibility, and different perspectives can be examined. Developing the ability to think critically is a major objective of the course.

Having a mandatory course on social responsibility makes Bloomfield somewhat of an anomaly among academic institutions, several of the faculty members noted. But it is an important part of the Bloomfield curriculum, and an aspect of the school that is a special source of pride, they added.

And well it should be, says Felicia.

"I wish more colleges would do that," Felicia says. "Today, a lot of the times, people act first and think later. They say they’re Christian, for example, but they act in ways that are definitely non-Christian. I believe it's good for students to think more about social responsibility. And that, of course, stems from accepting personal responsibility for one’s actions and treatment of others, and behavior based on a real, ingrained code of ethics instead of empty talk that one’s actions belie. I think a course like this is advantageous for students as they mature into adulthood and develop academically and as human beings."

Felicia's lecture complemented Professor Bembry's portion of the class, Religion and Social Responsibility. It focuses on religion as a driving force for ethical – and sometimes conflicting -- behavior. Class readings and discussions look at topics such as various interpretations of the Christian Bible, racism, anti-Semitism, and the roles of women.

Felicia's visit also coincided with the 45th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

"A course like this encourages students to develop convictions and have the courage of those convictions," says Felicia. "It is extremely worthwhile."

For more information about Bloomfield College, visit the college website.

PHOTOS:

TOP -- Felicia with some of the Bloomfield College faculty members. She was a guest lecturer for the Social Responsibility class at the invitation of Adjunct Professor Glenmore Bembry, far left. Professor Bembry, who is pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York, focuses on religious aspects of social responsibily for the team-taught course. Second from left is Professor Glen Hayes, professor of religion and head of the Religion Department. On the far right is Professor Demetris Nicolaides, professor of physics, head of the Physics Department and coordinator of the Sophomore Core.

MIDDLE -- Part of the Bloomfield College campus, from the college website.

BOTTOM -- Felicia holding a T-shirt and mug, a couple of souvenirs from her visit to Bloomfield College, courtesy of the Humanities Department.   

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FANNIE LOU HAMER MIDDLE SCHOOL

BRONX, NEW YORK

Fannie Lou Hamer, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and a Bronx school. What's the connection? Well, did you know there's a New York City middle school named after Fannie Lou Hamer? There is, and at the request of Assistant Principal Stephen Walton a few of the cast/creative/production

 

team members from our Fannie Lou musical visited the school in honor of King Day on Friday, Jan. 18, 2013. Their presentation consisted of a few brief scene excerpts and songs from Fannie Lou, performed in a staged reading format. Students also learned a little background about the production and actors. Participants Ron, Yewande, Felicia and Cheri (clockwise, from left) are pictured above at a Times Square eatery, where they stopped to grab a bite after the performance. 

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STAMFORD RITES OF PASSAGE

STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT

In early 2012 Felicia visited that year’s Rites of Passage class in Stamford, CT, to talk about Fannie Lou Hamer and the impact she had on voting and civil rights. Stamford Rites of Passage is an award-winning program that helps middle school students
become aware of the vast history and contributions of Africans and African Americans. The intensive, extracurricular program – which is operated by founder and Director Rodney Bass, Communications Coordinator Sharon Wade and Travel and Safety Liaison Kim Langenmayr, among others – culminates with a summer trip to West Africa and a first-hand look at geographical elements of the Atlantic slave trade. For more information
about Stamford Rites of Passage, visit the website here.

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YERWOOD CENTER

STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT

The first staged reading of Fannie Lou took place October 2011 at the Yerwood Center in Stamford, CT, which provides needed resources to area youth and their families. The center generously donated space for the event, and was among several community-based organizations in Stamford to which proceeds from the performances were donated. 



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Read about our sold-out world premiere (the first show sold out
more than a month in advance!!) at broadwayworld.com