“If you say a word often enough, it becomes you”

 

Anna Deavere Smith’s grandfather once told her, “If you say a word often enough, it becomes you.” In her life’s work–the documentary play series On the Road: A Search For American Characters, to which Notes From the Field belongs–Smith uses this sentiment as a map towards empathy. The journey starts with Smith traveling around the United States interviewing people and collecting their words. She sits with real people, walks with real people, listens to understand their experiences, and performs them onstage. Smith describes this process not as typifying the other person but as “trying to make a broad jump towards the other.” In this effort, we recognize our closeness with our counterparts and strangers as we step into their shoes, learn the rhythm of their voices, understand the gestures of their bodies, and say their words. In essence, they become a part of us. Here, we arrive at empathy. 

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Anna Deavere Smith includes her map towards empathy in the rights to her script. She intends that “actors portray characters outside of their own race, gender, age, and ‘type.’” So, you will see our actors playing people who are different from them in many ways. Like Smith, the actors make a “broad jump towards the other” in this production. Preparing to leap has meant taking a deep dive into their lives, lived experiences, relationships, voices and movement patterns to best understand them and share their stories with you.  Smith says that by listening closely and performing as people from around the country, she has “learned about America from becoming it.” We are doing the same by putting on this play. By sitting in the audience together, we learn about the American experiences that exist beyond ourselves. By repeating their words, they become a part of how we understand America. Then, wielding this empathy, we move to action. 

Action is the third act of Notes From the Field, where you can become an actor, too. We, as performers and citizens of the world, urge you to consider the perspectives you learned and the empathy you may have felt and turn them into action in your field. 

 

Opportunities for Action (a.k.a The Third Act Scene List):

 

 Policy Changes 

• Propose & Support Policy Reform in Local Schools and Districts.

  • Historically, the mobilization of parents and community members has been a successful way to generate change. Some solutions local communities have found are: 

    • Replacing zero-tolerance policies with restorative justice practices

    • Creating peer mediation and mentorship programs 

    • Student placement services.

    • Shift to focus on dignity-based alternatives, policies that recognize the inherent dignity of individual students. 

• Run for local or national office and help propose legislative reforms to eliminate mass incarceration practices.

• Work in local courts, like Judge Abby, and advocate for restorative justice practices.  

• Educators, future educators, and parents evaluate the discipline practices in your classrooms and homes. Is zero-tolerance in your homes like Leticia de Santigo or in your school like Tony Eady?

 

Community Programs

• Support Local Extracurricular Programs that give students a place to belong and grow. These programs often compensate for home and school life. 

• Donate to organizations like The Sentencing Project that are working to minimize the imprisonment and criminalization of youth and adults.  

 

Advocacy

• Write your local politicians to express the desire for legislative reforms to eliminate mass incarceration.

• Continue the conversation about the school-to-prison pipeline.