Chester seniors explore city’s black history

Posted by on May 17, 2010

Chester seniors explore city’s black history

Chester Senior Center is again making news by exploring its city’s unique Black historical experience with an exciting play aimed at not only captivating, but educating its audiences.

Thanks to a grant from the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, Chester Senior Center will present Hoodwinked, on Thursday, May 27th, at 10am and 7pm.  Building on the “Coming North” production performed in 2009, the new play expands the overview of black Chester history, beginning in the 1910’s but focusing primarily on the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.

Hoodwinked investigates the 1918 race riots, long term trends such as white flight, housing, job discrimination and changing family roles for women as told by seniors at Chester Senior Center. This program will highlight a variety of perspectives through two 70-minute performances.

The 10am presentation will feature an intergenerational audience, with children from the Chester Upland Charter School of Performing Arts, and is preceded by a lecture by local expert Dolores Freeman.

The second presentation’s audience will be invited to arrive at 5:00 PM for a dinner at a minimal cost preceding the performance at 7pm, and features Swarthmore professor and Chester native, Dr. Keith Reeves. Both performances are followed by a question and answer session with Dr. Amanda Kemp and audience members.

The Chester Senior Center’s dance troupe, The Chester Steppers, will also take part.

For further information, call 610-497-3550.