By Koko McDowell
This fundraising production was a cultural experience from beginning to end. Drawing attention to the need for not only cultural awareness, but a creative outlet for those who live and breathe art that runs in and through their veins. The Bus Ride; Home raised money to support the future Community and Cultural Center in Oceanside, Creative Sols Ark, which is set to open in the last quarter of 2022. The Oceanside Theatre Company at the Brooks provided a great summary of what was to be expected. This event “feature[ed] various artists and performers discussing the significance of the buses as an analogy within the Afrikan, Afrikan-descent, and Black communities and the timeline of gains in those communities through historical, societal, and civil rights. The Bus Ride; Home will also pay homage to the original Freedom Riders and other movements that contributed to the positive impact on Afrikan, Afrikan-descent, and Black communities.”
Initially, I thought everything would be focused on the black struggle from slavery, through emancipation, to the cost of freedom, and where we are today in America. But, to my surprise, this bus ride was not as expected. The Freedom Bus included a diverse cast of artist whom expressed themselves authentically and represented their struggles as Indigenous People, Asian, Latino, and Black. This bus ride was not the story of Rosa Parks, rather the stories of different American struggles that lead to a collection of ethnicities finding themselves on the same bus, supporting each other along the way.
This bus ride consisted of four stops:
First Stop – The Buses are Here: Original Freedom Riders
Second Stop – Stories from Children of Revolution: Seeds of Hope
Third Stop – Intermission; Wade in the Wather & Gnum Gnum
Last Stop – Our Heroes ‘Aint on ‘Em; Route 1619
I gather that Creative Sols Ark will be a place and space for culturally aware creative minds to connect, collaborate, and express themselves. Their mission is to offer a safe space for systemically underprivileged individuals to gain positive opportunities in education, activism, and community building. This Community and Cultural Center will be among the bustling growth of Oceanside, ensuring a more diverse footprint.
