The purpose of Baraka was to provoke the black community into taking action against the white brutality against the blacks. The play demonstrated the reality of the society and wanted to reflect it through plays. However, the black people rejected the play terming it as racist. I can say it is not a racist play. In an article titled, Actors, speak: Creating diversity, there are lots of concerns that the Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asians are underrepresented in the roles and screens of plays. The main reason for that is that production companies and actors go by what actors want and not the reality in the society. For Baraka, he dared to defy the norms and went ahead to have his play aired to a black audience who rejected it ( Baraka, 1964 ). Although he did not succeed, his work was able to sustain itself over time because of the reality it depicted. The fact that the show demonstrated reality makes it endure time because it is always used as a reference whenever the play is repeated in real life.
Therefore, the rejection of Baraka’s work initially, does not justify that the play itself promoted racist tendencies. At that time and even up to this moment, the issue of violence against the blacks is at the center of debate and discussion. It was not Baraka who first introduced it was present from the time that slavery was a legal practice. The social problems in the society have to be addressed through the use of art and plays. That will educate the people of the reality at hand and the need for change for a better society. The rejection of Baraka’s work did not solve the problem because it was similar to burying the head in the sand and hoping for the best. For the society to address and solve the problems at hand, it first needs to do an observation and listening, digest and then accept the reality. From there, the corrective course of action will be needed to be taken to address the problem. The article, Actors speak: Creating diversity encourages boldness and urges producers and filmmaking companies not to be afraid of the reaction of the audience that does what is right.
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The long-term result of Baraka’s work justifies the play’s purity from racism and its image on reality. After his play was rejected by the black audience, Baraka continued with his mission of educating the blacks. After a short while, he was established and his work gained the support of a wider audience. That is because, as time passed by, the realities of life confirmed his works. Were it not so, it his work would have been rejected once and for all. The fact that the whites accepted the work as opposed to the blacks shows that the whites acknowledged the truth of the play and never let the cloud of racism notion cloud their reasoning. It was as if the whites, who were supposed to be the victim in Baraka’s play confirmed the truth of the play and wanted to help to change the narrative ( Baraka, 1964) . However, the blacks were not ready to be part of the movement to change the norm of brutality against the blacks. That is, therefore, a demonstration that the blacks have been a part of the problem of the perpetuation of segregation.
References
Baraka, A. (1964). Dutchman . Faber & Faber .
