Race | WGCU PBS & NPR for Southwest Florida

Players Circle Theater tackles diversity, race, and privilege with its production of “Admissions”

John Davis

Players Circle Theater is mounting a production of playwright Joshua Harmon’s multi-award-winning play “Admissions.” The family drama explores themes of race, diversity and privilege. We explore the play in a conversation with Players Circle Theater’s Bob Cacioppo, Carrie Lund Cacioppo and Harvey Evans.

During segregation, Black and white children on Sanibel Island played together, even though they went to seperate elementary schools.

Human Interest

Grandsons of Black settlers reflect on segregated South: 'Things were different on Sanibel'

Janine Zeitlin

Kenneth and Eugene Gavin are part of the legacy of the Gavin and Walker families on Sanibel Island. The two families were among the first Black settlers on the island.

A small memorial is seen outside an apartment, Tuesday, June 6, 2023, in Ocala, Fla., where Ajike Owens, a 35-year-old mother of four was killed in a Friday night, June 2, shooting that Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said was the culmination of a 2½-year feud between neighbors. Authorities came under intense pressure Tuesday to bring charges against a white woman who killed Owens, a Black neighbor on her front doorstep, as they navigated Florida’s divisive stand your ground law that provides considerable leeway to the suspect in making a claim of self defense. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Crime

White woman who fatally shot Black neighbor is arrested in Fl.

The Associated Press

A Florida woman accused of fatally shooting her neighbor last week in the violent culmination of what the sheriff described as a 2½-year feud was arrested Tuesday, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said.

A USF professor, student and organization file a lawsuit against Florida race-related teaching

Jim Saunders - News Service of Florida

The lawyers raised a series of arguments that the "Stop WOKE Act" violates speech rights.

Florida Gulf Coast University president emeritus, Dr. Wilson Bradshaw in front of the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library

FGCU President Emeritus Dr. Wilson Bradshaw reflects on issues around issues of social justice and anti-racism

Mike Kiniry

FGCU President Emeritus Dr. Wilson Bradshaw talks about how much has changed around issues of social justice and anti-racism over the past year and a half, including the new "Stop Woke Act" -- or HB 7 -- that governor Ron DeSantis signed into law on July 1, 2022.

Keisha (played by Zaria Brown) tries to digest her surroundings in the Laboratory Theater of Florida's production of "Fairview"

Lab Theater of Florida’s production of “Fairview” asks audience to make space for people of color

John Davis

The Laboratory Theater of Florida in downtown Fort Myers is currently performing the Southwest Florida premiere production of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s 2019 Pulitzer Prize winning drama “Fairview.”The play tackles themes of implicit bias, prejudices, stereotypes, race, surveillance and privilege, but through an innovative and powerful defiance of convention.We explore the play in a conversation with the production’s Assistant Director Makayla Davis, actors and cast members Zaria Brown and Tijuanna Clemons, and Laboratory Theater founder and Producing Artistic Director Annette Trossbach.

Laboratory Theater of Florida tackles issues of race in its production of the play “Fairview”

Tom Hall

The Laboratory Theater of Florida has a reputation for producing edgy plays on timely topics. So, it should come as no surprise that it is presenting the Southwest Florida premiere of Jackie Sibblies Drury's Pulitzer-Prize-winning play “Fairview” which is a radical, conceptually bold and impactful comedy exploring issues of race and racism.

DeSantis Proposes Boosting Civics Education That Expressly Omits Critical Race Theory

Julie Glenn

At a news conference in Collier County Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a new civics education initiative.

Security fencing surrounds Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 4, 2021.

Florida Is Home To Second-Most Hate Groups In The U.S. A Former Member Explain Why

Steve Newborn

A recent study shows Florida has the second-highest number of known hate groups in the country. We put a spotlight on why the Sunshine State harbors so much hate.

Franklin Cochran, 78, was one of more than 250 seniors vaccinated at a pop-up clinic in north Sarasota last Sunday. He said he was grateful for the opportunity to get his shot close to home.

Sarasota Advocates Push To Get COVID-19 Vaccines To People Of Color

Stephanie Colombini

Only about 1 percent of people vaccinated in Sarasota County are Black. Advocates say the distribution process puts underserved communities at a disadvantage. They're fighting to change that.