Good Afternoon all,

I first want to express gratitude on behalf of the Black Student Union of John Jay College. Your support in sharing this petition has gotten us thousands of signatures in less than 24 hours. Thank you so much, and please continue to share as much as you can. Tag the Shaderoom as well as celebrities who are known to amplify issues.

I also want to address pushback from specific individuals who support the play. A common rebuttal I have heard is that the play addresses white silence and explores the concept of white allyship. My response is that white allyship or lack thereof can and should be explored through completely fictional means. Utilizing the torture and murder of a child who is yet to see any justice is entirely inappropriate, regardless of the intention. It is also unacceptable to make white reactions to anti-black racism a focal point of this play or any pro-black activism. 

Effective non-black allies to the black liberation struggle understand that their hurt feelings about witnessing racism are unimportant. The critical detail is that we live in an environment where anti-black racism has existed, expanded, and thrived for hundreds of years. That is most thoroughly illustrated in performing arts by Black playwrights and actors. I acknowledge the positive intentions of Clare Coss, and I want to reiterate that neither they nor her feelings matter.

FYI, Coss put on a separate play about Emmett Till in 2013 titled "Emmett, Down in My Heart," which won awards. 

I have the following questions for Clare Coss:

1) How much money have you made off Emmett Till's story and name?

2) How much success and exposure has the story of Emmett Till brought your career?

3) Why do you find exploiting the story of a lynched child who has not received justice an ideal way to start a discourse around racism?

4) Why don't you instead write a play about your white savior complex and make yourself the main character?

Finally, I want to give an update on the response from John Jay College. This morning I wrote a complaint letter about the issue. I sent it to the office of President Karol Mason and the Department Chair of Theatre and Communications, along with this petition. While the president has not yet responded, the Department Chair has- these are his exact words:

"The Department of Communication and Theatre Arts is not involved in this project."

"This seems to be an outside group renting the Gerald W. Lynch Theatre- and take note the GWL theater is not connected to the college by means of academic or curricular needs. It's essentially a rental house connected to the college. John Jay student and faculty events are secondary to the theater earning an income. The proportion of that income dedicated to the college and the ways in which the college supports the GWL financially are both way above my pay rate. 

I will read over the petition and pass it on to others."

I want to thank Department Chair Seth Baumrin for his prompt reply and passing on the petition. I also want to reiterate that the Department of Communications and Theatre Arts is not at fault for the approval of this play. 

While the Gerald W. Lynch theatre is not connected to John Jay academically, the theater is still on our campus. I'm sure if the GWL Theatre was rented out to put on an anti-police performance, John Jay would push back against that regardless of how we are connected to the theatre. John Jay still has power in this situation, and thus the responsibility to act on student concerns. GWL being a rentable venue is not an excuse.

John Jay College, why have you so far chosen not to use your influence to prevent the premiere of this exploitative play on our campus? That doesn't sound very "fierce advocate for justice"-like to me. Therefore, I, the BSU, and our thousands of supporters demand that you cancel this play and give an explanation to your students.

-Mya Bishop