Page 8
January 22, 2020
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710
Ernest J. Hill, Jr. Agent
311 NE Killingsworth St,
Portland, OR 97211
503 286 1103
Fax 503 286 1146
ernie.hill.h5mb@statefarm.com
24 Hour Good Neighbor Service R
State Farm R
5010 NE 9th Ave
Portland, Or 97211
Phone: 503 284-2989
Arts &
ENTERTAINMENT
Film Screens with Call to Action
Community
focus on unjust
discipline of
black girls
The community is invited to
see the injustice and consider
the solutions behind a new trend
making African American girls
the fastest-growing population in
the criminal justice system when
Warner Pacific University hosts
a screening of the documentary
“Pushout: The Criminalization of
Black Girls in School,” on Mon-
day, Feb. 3 from 6 p.m. to 8:30
p.m.
Pushout is a new film that
shows African American girls are
the only group of girls dispropor-
tionately experiencing harsh dis-
cipline at every grade level. The
screening is hosted by HOLLA
and Bars to Bridges in partner-
ship with Warner Pacific and On-
Point Community Credit Union.
Refreshments will be offered be-
fore and during the screening and
youth from both HOLLA and Bars
to Bridges will share their person-
al stories immediately following
the film.
“This documentary is an op-
portunity for the black communi-
ty and beyond to finally see that
this is not a niche issue and can
become a vicious cycle if we do
nothing,’’ said Monique W. Mor-
ris, executive producer of the film
and author of the book.
By recounting the stories of
black girls around America, Push-
out reveals alarming disparities in
the education and justice system
in America. While mass incarcera-
tion and its effects on young black
males have been widely covered,
black girls have been left without
a space at the table. The documen-
tary tackles this issue by sharing
their stories.
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Andrea Vernae (left) stars as Paulina, the queen bee and mean girl, and Morgan Walker as Ericka,
the newcomer who threatens her reign, in ‘School Girls’ or ‘The African Mean Girls,’ by award winning
Ghanaian-American playwright Jocelyn Bioh.
Beauty Explored in ‘African Mean Girls Play’
Comedy tackles
teen challenges
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The breakout hit comedy
‘School Girls’ or ‘The African
Mean Girls Play” by Ghana-
ian-American playwright Jocelyn
Bioh explores the challenges fac-
ing teenage girls across the globe
and cautions that while beauty
may be only skin deep, its pursuit
can cut much deeper.
A historic first time co-pro-
duction between Artists Reper-
tory Theatre and Portland Center
Stage at the Armory, the play was
inspired in part by Bioh’s moth-
er’s time in a boarding school in
Ghana and the author’s own ex-
perience at a boarding school in
Pennsylviania.
School Girls tells the story of
Paulina, the reigning Queen Bee
of her exclusive private school,
who has her sights set on the Miss
Ghana pageant. But the arrival
of a new student with undeniable
talent, beauty and light skin cap-
tures the attention of the pageant
recruiter and nearly topples the
social order of Paulina’s friends.
“Oftentimes, the stories about Af-
rica that are being served up are usu-
ally tales of extreme poverty, strug-
gle, strife, disease, and war,” said
Bioh. “This narrative is a dangerous
and calculated one, and it has always
been my goal to present the Africa I
know and love so dearly. School girls
was my first produced play, and I’m
so thrilled at the reception.”
Preview shows began over the
weekend at Portland Center Stage
at the Armory, downtown. Open-
ing night is Friday, Jan. 24 and the
show closes on Feb. 16
Various community events will
be held surrounding the show, in-
cluding a pre-show reception with
the Ghana Association of Oregon,
a dramaturgy class taught by cast
member Kisha Jarrett, and discus-
sions with cast, crew, and commu-
nity guests. For tickets and more
information, visit pcs.org/school-
girls or call 503-445-3700.