By Lorcan Stokes

On Wednesday, February 15, Living Voices partnered with the city of Bellevue to perform "The Right to Dream," a solo performance based around the civil rights movement in honor of Black History Month. City council members John Stokes, Conrad Lee, Janice Zahn, Jeremy Barksdale, and Bellevue's deputy mayor, Jared Nieuwenhuis, were in attendance.

The event opened up with some words from Dr. Linda Whitehead, the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer of the Diversity Advantage initiative. 

"We call it Black history," said Dr. Whitehead. "But quite frankly, this is America's history, and we're looking at the black history segment that is a part of our overall history."

The deputy mayor and each council member shared their outlook on the importance of Black history and the need for progress for an equitable society. 

Barksdale, the first Black councilman in Bellevue's history, explained the importance of acknowledging uncomfortable conversations that lead to community growth. 

"We need to have difficult and often uncomfortable conversations. In the South, you are, for better or worse, confronted with race more explicitly," said Barksdale, a North Carolina native. "The only way we are going to move toward a more racially equitable and just community is if we have those difficult conversations and hold ourselves accountable for meaningful changes in our system."

All of the speeches by council members highlighted the council's vision statement, which Nieuwenhuis reiterated: "Bellevue welcomes the world. "Our diversity is our strength. We embrace the future while respecting our past."

The one-woman show was performed by Rosslyn Cornejo, who played the character of Ruby, a young girl from Mississippi in the 1950s who deals with racism and gradually joins the Civil Rights Movement through the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. The student activist, along with members of her family, participates in protests, witnesses Martin Luther King speaking, and experiences the violence of "Bloody Sunday," a day during the Selma to Montgomery marches where Alabama law enforcement beat and assaulted marchers. Ruby, who is fictional, is a composite of real-life individuals and experiences that were key in the civil rights movement.  

Living Voices utilizes archived images, videos, audio, and interactive dialogue from actors and actresses in their shows to present historical events. Cornejo, who has been performing as Ruby for two years, later explained the importance of showcasing these multi-media performances. 

"I think that one big aspect of sharing these historical plays is so important because a lot of people don't realize how relevant that history still is and how there is still a living memory of this history," said Cornejo. 

The organization often performs at schools, museums, and companies and teaches history differently. 

"Seeing someone live in person who is passionate about it, talking about it in a relevant way is a very impactful experience and also gives that time period a little more meaning than just reading about it," said Cornejo.

Once the performance finished, Dr. Whitehead highlighted the resilience and bravery of civil rights members in the face of violence that have impacted the world today and gave some parting words on the importance of standing up in the face of injustice.

"We have a right, we have a reason, and that reason is we are all part of the human race, and we should want it better," said Dr. Whitehead. "Finally, we have a responsibility."