FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 15, 2009
Contacts:
Sue Lin Chong / schong@aecf.org / (410) 223-2836
Jane Coyne / langhartcommunicationspr@gmail.com / (240) 235-5021
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The Annie E. Casey Foundation Hosts Discussion on Equality and Performance of Anne & Emmett – A Groundbreaking New Play by Janet Langhart Cohen
Baltimore, Md. – The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s internal affinity group RESPECT will host the Baltimore premiere of Anne & Emmett on Tuesday, October 20, 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Baltimore School for the Arts, Baltimore, Maryland. Immediately following the performance, an audience discussion will focus on the themes presented and calls to action for greater community understanding. Established in 1993, RESPECT focuses on the role of race, class, ethnicity, and power play in the communities served by the Foundation.
Playwright Janet Langhart Cohen’s one-act play is an acclaimed depiction of an imaginary conversation between Holocaust victim Anne Frank and Emmett Till, a black youth whose murder sparked the American Civil Rights Movement. “We are proud to bring Anne & Emmett to Casey’s hometown,” said Ruth Mayden, Casey’s Associate
Director of the Children Healthy and Achieving portfolio and co-facilitator of RESPECT. “This powerful work is a wonderful entry to a public discussion between two communities with a shared empathy for racial justice and equality.”
“The message of my play draws from the historical fact that both Anne Frank and Emmett Till were victims of institutional racism,” said Langhart Cohen. “This imaginary encounter is the first time that anyone has drawn historical parallels between their lives. I’m thrilled that RESPECT will be able to engage the public in a discussion on how the Jewish and the African American communities have interacted through the years and how their collaboration has fostered opportunities for both in their communities, workforce, and academic environments.”
The evening will conclude with Langhart Cohen and representatives of the Black/Jewish Forum of Baltimore (BLEWS) leading a question and answer session with the audience. Founded in 1978, BLEWS is an organization of individuals committed to promoting an increased understanding and cooperation between Baltimore’s African American and Jewish communities. BLEWS has a longstanding interest in opposing racial and religious discrimination to advancing social and economic justice for all.
The Foundation welcomes the community to attend this free-of-charge event at the William Donald Schaefer Ballroom of the Baltimore School of Arts, 712 Cathedral Street, 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. RSVPs are requested by Monday, October 19, through contacting Danielle Johnson at djohnson@aecf.org or (410) 685-7664.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private charitable organization, whose primary mission is to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families. For more information, visit www.aecf.org.
Langhart Communications envisions and produces events that encourage education and understanding of current issues in our society. Its mission is to promote race relations, education for underprivileged children, and a call to community service in our nation. For more information, visit www.langhartcommunications.com.
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