On Thursday, October 27th, all of WLP went to the Kennedy Center to see the production Freeze Frame.
Climbing the three sets of stairs to the balcony of the Eisenhower theatre at the Kennedy Center, I never assumed that I'd be stunned into motionlessness two hours later. But, upon the conclusion of Debbie Allen’s show, I was stuck; standing, staring, mouth agape at the truth of the United States' greatest flaws, flying past my eyes on the screen displayed on the stage.
All of WLP had the great privilege of being able to see Freeze Frame: Stop the Madness at the Kennedy Center. It was a dramatic piece that combined the art of dance, singing, rap, and cinematography in order to address the issues of racial injustice and gun control, two very important pieces of the modern American narrative. Representation is an important part of relating to a piece of art, and everyone could see someone they knew or even themselves in the characters. The highly motivated basketball star, the dancer clinging to her past, the emotionally and physically scarred troublemaker, and the mute artist. While we might not perfectly fit those archetypes, we could empathize with them.
Empathy is one of the most important traits of a leader. As a leader, you should be building up and encouraging those around you. One cannot do this without empathy, as it is the foundation of understanding. This understanding must be widely distributed to all those in our world: those with whom we relate, with whom we hold common views, and those with whom we disagree. It is of increasing importance, as social issues and injustice become more prevalent in our nation and our world. A mark of a true leader isn't getting somebody to follow your path, it's stepping into their shoes and helping them along theirs.As the names of the victims of gun violence kept scrolling across the backdrop, we all stood there waiting for it to stop. We wanted to be able to shake off our shoulders and continue on with our semester, but we all knew that it isn't possible to do that. It is the role of a leader to stand up in the face of injustice. Debbie Allen became a leader when she brought it upon herself to create a show to reach the hearts of those viewing, to inspire them to take up her cause. It's our job now to do something about it.
- Rose Collins, International Politics Cohort