Dreams Deferred: The Ground Breaking Stage Play

I was out to dinner the other night with a friend and in the middle of our meal, a gentleman walked up and handed me a plugger. Assuming that it was for a party or some event catering to the urban youth, I began to tuck it away in my purse until I saw the smiling face of a young African American boy and girl. The plugger I had received was for a play called Dreams Deferred, being presented by Operation Safe Passage, a Messiah Equiano Vision. More captivating than the smiles of this young boy and girl was the description of the play that read:

Chicago has emerged to have the HIGHEST youth homicide rate in the nation. Over 600 Chicago school children have been shot from September 2007 to October 2009. DREAMS DEFERRED shows us what these dying youth could have achieved with their, had they lived. Gripping, Powerful, and Inspiring...This is a Must See!

Immediately, my mind went to 16 year old Derrion Albert, an honor roll student at Fenger High School who was brutally beaten to death in October. While Abert's death received national attention, many other Chicago youth killings go unpublicized. Furthermore, we as a community have become desensitized to death. When our kids die, we place balloons, flowers, and cards on the site where they were killed. After the balloons deflate, the flowers die, and the makeshift graves are cleaned up, we move on with our lives, while families are still left to mourn an unfulfilled destiny.

It is my hope and belief that as Dreams Deferred shows us what could have been, we will begin to take more action to ensure that it WILL be. Check out the event info on the left side of the page. Also please visit their website or call 773-929-2383 for more information!