Ma Rainey and Trayvon Martin

I saw the final preview of "Ma Rainey" last week. 

Really great production.  Fellow ASP company member Jason Bowen plays the lead, and is PHENOMENAL!  It's so great to see a young Boston actor in a leading role at the Huntington, very excited for him! 

Wonderful cast all around, and great to see Will and Tommy together again.

Hopefully - someday - the stories of terrible racism Wilson narrates through his characters will just be a painful memory from our history. 

But then, last Sunday, I open the Times and read Charles Blow's column and the horrifying story of Trayvon Martin: a 17-year-old black child gunned down in Florida for no reason, and his killer is still walking free.  And I feel like I'm listening to one of Wilson's characters, all over again.

I've pasted a link below that you can go to and sign, all the info is below.  And if you haven't heard the details of this case, go ahead and Google it, it's pretty disturbing and shocking.

Here's the link below.  I hope you'll sign it.  I did.  And please spread the word about this!


Subject: Attorney General Holder: See That Justice is Done
Hi,
On February 26, Trayvon Martin was shot and killed as he walked to a family member's home from a convenience store where he had just bought some candy. He was only 17 years old.
Trayvon's killer, George Zimmerman (the community's self appointed "neighborhood watch leader"), admitted to police that he shot Trayvon in the chest. Zimmerman, who is white, called the police to report a suspicious person when he saw Travyon, a young black teen, walking from the store. In Zimmerman's words, Trayvon was suspicious because he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and walking in the rain.
Here are the words of Trayvon's mom about what happened next: "When Zimmerman reported Trayvon to the police, they told him not to confront him. But he did anyway. All I know about what happened next is that my 17 year-old son, who was completely unarmed, was shot and killed.
It's been nearly two weeks and the Sanford Police have refused to arrest George Zimmerman. In their public statements, they even go so far as to stand up for the killer - saying he's "a college grad" who took a class in criminal justice."
Please join me in asking Attorney General Eric Holder to ensure that Trayvon's family gets justice. Please sign this petition to ask AG Holder to order an investigation into the blatant and violent violation of the civil rights of a 17 year old boy.
That's why I signed a petition to Attorney General Eric Holder, Attorney General of the United States, which says:
"Attorney General Holder, please order the Department of Justice to investigate the senseless murder of Trayvon Martin, and the blatant violation of his civil rights."
Will you sign this petition? Click here:
http://signon.org/sign/attorney-general-holder-1?source=s.em.cp&r_by=3512357
Thanks!