Abstract
Quincy Music Theatre operates in Quincy, the county seat of Gadsden County, Florida, U.S.A. Historically, the local economy was agriculture, primarily shade-grown tobacco. As in many other southern communities, the reliance on agriculture in Quincy brought with it strains in race relations, as wealthy white land owners were seen to oppress poorer laborers of color, primarily African Americans. Amid those already tense race relations, local Quincy investors were responsible for growing the local Coca-Cola company into an international conglomerate. This history led to great socio-economic divides exacerbating the racial divides plaguing the community. In the midst of this environment, stands Quincy Music Theatre (QMT). They are based in the historic Leaf Theatre that once operated as a segregated movie theater. Since the late 1980s, the building has been owned and operated by QMT. QMT faces opposition as an art organization in a low socio-economic community as well as due to its status as an organization founded by wealthy white community members operating in a building that exemplifies the racial tensions in the community. I began this study with the intention of learning about the methods undertaken by a rural arts administrator trying to keep an organization going. The issues that arose regarding race relations and inter-generational politics became very central to this study. I learned the staff at QMT deliberately and delicately confronts and challenges the local climate of racial tension, bringing the community together and facilitating difficult conversations.
Presenters
Elise KiefferProgram Director & Assistant Professor, Nonprofit Leadership Studies, Murray State University, Kentucky, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Community Diversity and Governance
KEYWORDS
Rural, Arts, Diversity, Inclusion, Musical Theatre
