eta Creative Arts Foundation invites you to support their upcoming musical production by McKinley Johnson chronicling the life of Bayard Rustin, a largely forgotten but immensely influential civil-rights leader. Rustin was an African American political strategist who championed the rights of others while being denied his own because of his homosexual identity, which was highly controversial during his time.
McKinley Johnson’s portrayal of Rustin is a moving commentary on identity politics that is particularly important to share during this time of heightened political tensions, especially around race and gender. Accordingly, eta Creative Arts Foundation is collaborating on a panel with the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at the University of Chicago. The panel will be held before the show on Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. and will involve social justice leaders and scholars from throughout Chicago.
The play runs Feb. 9-March 11. See etacreativearts.org/calendar-events or contact box office at 773-752-3955.
About eta Creative Arts Foundation
eta Creative Arts Foundation is a community-based arts institution that gives creative voice and narrative to the African American experience while equipping both youth and adults to continue this tradition through artistic and technical education. eta’s mission is to preserve and promulgate the African American aesthetic in the city of Chicago while promoting artistic and technical training in theater arts. Toward this end, we support and produce stage performances that advance valid and authentic representations of African American lifestyles, experiences, and aspirations. We have maintained a consistent and vital presence in cultural arts development in Chicago for over four decades.