Race relations at Notre Dame are often a sensitive subject. SHOW SOME SKIN: THE RACE MONOLOGUES is a student project working to increase dialogue about race and ethnicity in our community. Planning for the play started last September with the collection of stories from Notre Dame students, faculty, and staff and members of the South Bend community.
Ninety-eight short stories were anonymously submitted to the Show Some Skin committee this year, making the selection process incredibly difficult for the story board. The program presented 30 short monologues. The board chose stories from a variety of racial, ethnic, and gender perspectives. Each monologue also varied in tone. Many were sprinkled with humor, but all had a serious undertone that called for deep reflection.
Students presenting the monologues aimed to portray the authors’ emotions accurately. As freshman Kristina Flathers, who presented “Home Under the Dome,” said, “It was an honor to be entrusted with a piece of someone else’s identity. I hope I made her proud.”
Each monologue presented a different challenge of being a minority in the Notre Dame community. Several authors focused on the idea that they felt trapped behind common stereotypes, and emphasized the point that humans are more than the color of their skin.
“Strong Black Woman,” delivered by Kenenna Amuzie, discussed the determination of the African American author to show everyone that she was not by any means at the “bottom” of the supposed racial hierarchy.
Jordan Brown presented “No, Bro, You’re Different,” which touched on the effect of racial jokes and comments on the author’s life. The author described the feeling of judgment he experienced whenever he played certain sports or listened to particular styles of music. Despite common participation in such activities, the author felt his own was used as an opportunity to reinforce hurtful stereotypes.
The final monologue, presented by Lauren Lyman, encapsulated the show’s message. Entitled “What Are You?” this story suggested that the better question to ask was “WHO are you?”
Director Edithstein Cho noted that “People have shared their stories anonymously with the hope of being heard. People have come forth as actors with the hope of giving a voice for those who are rarely heard.” SHOW SOME SKIN proved a graceful and effective way to spark conversation on race relations in the university community.
Ellen Roof is a freshman studying business and psychology. As a Hunger Games fan, she is Team Peeta all the way. She can be reached at eroof@nd.edu.
