I became addicted to Glee, binge watching the first half of the very first season. It was like reliving my years in Mandela. This Greek word for song was the name of my high school show choir at Rickards High School in Tallahassee. Thankfully I never got Slush Facials.
I loved Glee because I knew every single person in McKinley's New Directions. They went to school with me. It was relatable in many aspects but fell short of a very crucial one: There was never a regular black, adolescent male on the show or even in the club. There weren't even any Regular black males that made guest appearances, even in the competition sequences. The one average black male that was on the show was only present for the first season, then mysteriously disappeared. There was no mention of his existence or even his whereabouts. He resurfaced for literally two seconds in the two hour season finale to only be the butt of a joke. That was IT!!!!
Yes I know that there was Wade "Unique" Adams but his story focused more on his gender identification. Honestly he became the "Park and Bark" as his preceding character Mercedes called herself. Even the character Britney referred to him as the "New" Mercedes, the big black girl with the big black voice. In season four there was "Jake", a bi-racial young man that we learn is "Puckerman's" half brother. Though his skin was somewhat brown and his hair was coarse, as a black male I didn't connect with him. Our stories as young men of color didn't mirror each other at all.
I watched the show for six seasons hoping to see a character that made me say, "That was ME high school!!! Alas, it didn't happen. I had to resume catching glimpses of myself in the other characters of the show. I could identify with Rachel/ Mercedes being one of the strong voices on my choral department. HECK Senior Year, I was president of the choir. I performed solos in show choir... often. I even performed solos during competitions my junior and senior years. Both years our group won superior ratings and was counted amongst the best in the state. I identified with the effeminate Kurt Hummel. I never really saw myself as effeminate but apparently others did. ( it is what it is) But we both had killer style. HMMPH. My high school life WAS the GLEE EXPERIENCE!!!
Which brings me to this question; In a show that celebrated the awesomeness of being an outcast to the mainstream, why was there no clear and vital representation on GLEE of America's biggest social outcast, the Black Male? I'm talking about that cool black kid that could just sing his face off. I was that kid at my high school. Those brothers do exist.
As I strike with my partner to build Midtown Entertainment, these kinds of observations make me realize how important our work is and will be. We have a story, an experience that deserves a platform. I'm charged even more to give the gift that was given to me
Mrs.Trudy King, my fifth-grade music teacher saw ME!! She heard my talent. She taught me how to use it and laid the foundation for my passion for music and performance. This is also true of Jenny Rollins and Daniel Gordon, my middle school and high school choral teachers. They saw ME!! They encouraged and in some cases TRICKED me into singing solos. They helped shape me up against a culture where I could have easily been written off and overlooked. With every show I've ever done, with every major music moment I have ever experienced, I owe those teachers a debt of thanks. They saw a little black boy with a voice. They encouraged him to sing. His life was given direction and purpose as a result.
According to Ryan Murphy, I'm either too boring or I don't exist. I'm so glad that he didn't write my show choir story.
That's my Midtown Movement.
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