By Ruth Hopkins

Members of the West Coast Black Publishers, an organization of approximately 30 African American Newspapers throughout California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, and Oregon, and the California Black Media organization attended a Press Conference, called by the Pasadena Journal News at the Pasadena Playhouse, on September 1, 2006, to protest discriminatory treatment.  The protest was held after charges of discrimination in advertising practices by the Playhouse were leveled by Pasadena Journal publisher, Attorney Joe C. Hopkins, in The Journal's August 31, 2006 issue. 

Pasadena Journal Publisher and Attorney Joe Hopkins and frequent Black media columnist Earl Ofari Hutchinson join protesters in front of the Pasadena Playhouse.

When the press conference was called, it was discovered that The Journal was not the only Black publication to receive such treatment.  Certain local members of the West Coast Black Publishers and California Black Media revealed that just before the opening of the play, "Fences", they were called and told that the tickets they had been promised were no longer available.  Publisher Melanie Polk of the L.A. Watts Times had confirmed that she would attend on September 1, but was later called by the Playhouse and told that she would need to attend on another night.  Dr. Paulette Brown Hinds of the Riverside Black Voice News also confirmed for September 1, but was called and told she would need to attend on another night, and then the Playhouse called her back and told that there were absolutely no tickets for her company.  Publisher Brian Townsend of the  Precinct Reporter in San Bernardino, who after receiving an invitation to attend on September 1st, extended over $1,000 in color advertising and press release coverage for free in his newspaper, said when he called to RSVP he was told there were no tickets for him.  After he protested, tickets were provided.  On September 1st the Playhouse was doing damage control for Black newspapers and those who showed up were all allowed in to see the play.

Hopkins alleges that the Pasadena Playhouse spends their advertising dollars with White owned newspapers, while ignoring the Black Press, except through their non paying marketing strategies which includes free press releases sent to the Black press and soliciting Black audiences, directly through African American sororities and social groups such as the Links, and others, to form theater parties.  Hopkins does not criticize the age old practice of holding theater parties or direct sales approaches.  He feels, however, money from Black groups go to support advertising for White owned newspapers, while many Black press newspapers are snubbed.  Black plays for next years' season are already being promoted to Black audiences.

Photo Cheryl Brown

Theater directors in their efforts to deny any intentional discriminatory policy are stating that The Journal, in their negotiations with their advertising employee, Johnathan, refused to accept tickets in trade for advertising space.  The fact is that The Journal in good faith on their past amicable relationship with the Playhouse, held out full page space, for two weeks in a row, which was ordered by Playhouse representatives, but Johnathan never sent the ads, leaving The Journal scrambling on print day to fill up a full page at the last minute.  

It is widely believed that Black plays have become the life's blood of the Pasadena Playhouse in the last few years with the addition of Sheldon Epps, an African American, as the Artistic Director.  Epps is the talented son of Dr. William F. Epps, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles.  The Journal has requested an interview with Epps but he has never been available to the Journal for an interview. He has done a magnificent job in turning the Playhouse around from the road  leading directly to bankruptcy, to million dollar box offices for the Black plays in past years.  Plays like "blue", "Purlie", "Play On", and "Ruby Dee's One Woman Show" have packed the house with Black audiences and saved the theater, while predominately White plays have been less than successful.  African American newspapers and audiences have only been recruited for the Black Plays as if they were either not wanted there or don't have enough cultural appreciation to appreciate other plays.  This practice does not promote the desired diversity which the Playhouse says it embraces.

The next so-called Black play, "Sister Act", will be held in October 2006. The Playhouse staff has promised that things will be improved.  The fact is that Black groups such as the Deltas, the Links, and others, have pre-purchased thousands of dollars worth of tickets in anticipation of the play.

Hopkins, a practicing attorney in the Discrimination and Civil Rights field, believes that economic justice need not be controversial but that it is always an issue in today's America.  He believes that African American business people such as caterers, florists, photographers, maintenance companies, and others, need to take a look at where the money being spent by Black audiences is going.  They need to ask if they are getting a fair share of the dollars that Black people are spending with the theater and whether the racial and ethnic makeup of the theater reflect the community.  Historically, Black actors have had a hard time, but today Black businesses believe that all should share in the prosperity created by Black entertainers. Local theaters should also consider consultants who know the communities they serve who will work hard to make their events successful, such as Lena Kennedy in the Pasadena community who worked to make the production of "Fences" successful for the Pasadena Playhouse.    

Hopkins believes that the Arts community of Pasadena and other California communities which annually bring in millions of dollars through plays, jazz concerts and festivals, such as Pasadena's Old Town Jazz Festival and the Playboy Jazz Festival all discriminate in their advertising buys and needs to stop. The audiences to these events are predominately African American, and the entertainers are Black artists, but the dollars are taken home by White media, promoters and producers.

Hopkins will request a summit of the West Coast Black Publishers Association and the California Black Media to determine what further action should be taken to guarantee a fair share of the arts dollars in California.