“There’s a racist character in
Lines In The Dust and I wanted
very much for him to not be a racist caricature,” continued Salter.
“I wanted to talk about the kind
of racism that’s insidious, not the
kind where people are running
around with white hoods. This
is the kind of racism that doesn’t
prevent you from talking to people of color, but where you start
to stand up for the rules and laws
in the community in which you
live that prevent them from coming. It’s where you still make assumptions about them and make
special exceptions for any friends
of color that are in your life. This
isn’t exclusive to white people, I
think all of America is prejudiced.
Racism is a different thing because it implies power to deny
access or to permit access. This
is the type of prejudice when you
say things like, ‘this is my white
friend’ or ‘this is my black friend.’
If you have to explain your friend’s
presence, it shows you how segregated we still are.”
The play was commissioned by
Luna because Robert Lee Carter,
a civil rights activist from Essex
segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.
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pg 19