By Ana Martinez-Ortiz Twenty-five years ago, Christopher Paul Curtis’ first book “The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963” was published. The story, narrated by middle child Kenny Watson, follows the Watson’s trip from Flint, Michigan to Birmingham, Alabama. The story begins with Kenny lying behind the couch. He recounts the events leading up the family’s […]
First Stage Brings a Classic Holiday Story to Life with “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
By Ana Martinez-Ortiz Almost everyone is familiar with Charles Schulz’s iconic character Charlie Brown and his group of friends from the comic strip “Peanuts.” Charlie, along with the rest of the Peanut gang, tackle life’s big issues in a way that is relatable and understandable for children. In the 1965 television special, “A Charlie Brown […]
SHOT: Caught a Soul
A gunshot rings out in the dark. There are only two witnesses to this deadly encounter. Officer O’Donald, a White cop, swears he feared for his life. Kareem, a 16-year old Black teenager, tells a different story, laying in a pool of blood. What happened that night? The system turned against the victim. But there […]