Washington, D.C
Washington’s Folger Museum should stop making Shakespeare ‘woke’
Shakespeare is the great wordsmith of the English language, creator of “To be or not to be” and “Kiss me, Kate.”
He’s the most performed playwright in American history.
We call him “the Bard.”
But, we are told, we shouldn’t use that term.
“Bard” has racial undertones, Prof. Farah Karim-Cooper explains in her 2022 essay “Shakespeare through Decolonization.”
To raise Shakespeare so highly, she says, is to make him “an icon of white heritage and excellence: the conception of the man as Bard is, I argue, endemic to coloniality.”
If these allegations of supposed white guilt came from a professor of no distinction, we might ignore it.
But Karim-Cooper has been made head of the most renowned Shakespeare center in the world, the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC.
Opened in 1932, the Folger contains 200,000 items from the Renaissance period, including the largest collection of Shakespeare materials in existence.
The Folger’s announcement praises Karim-Cooper as “a field leader in examining Shakespearean plays through the lens of social justice.”
She leads the Antiracist Shakespeare Webinar, too — a set of videos showing scholars finding race matters in every play in the corpus.
She has labored to stop the Renaissance field from suppressing racial topics and ghettoizing scholars of color.
It’s a bizarre situation, but one we see often across academia.
Individuals take the reins of cultural institutions with the intent of denigrating their prized mission.
Karim-Cooper likes Shakespeare, but wants to pull him down a few pegs.
We must “Interrogate the canon and Shakespeare’s primacy within it,” she insists.
She also insists “the Bard has a race problem,” as a Washington Post profile of her put it.
Teach Othello, she says, but set it alongside Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Keith Hamilton Cobb’s play American Moor.
Stop making Shakespeare so special.
The founder of the Folger Library had other intentions.
Henry Folger idolized Shakespeare and believed America had a marvelous relationship with him.
His wife Emily stated that Henry saw Shakespeare as “one of the wells from which we Americans draw our national thought, our faith and our hope.”
That’s why he located the library just behind the U.S. Capitol.
The Library was not to be an Ivory Tower only. It was to bring Hamlet and Caesar to Americans of all kinds.
The race obsessions of the new director, however, are an elite matter.
People who saw Ralph Fiennes in Macbeth in DC this year aren’t interested in anti-racist catechisms. They want electric acting and eloquence for the ages.
Kids in DC schools who read Romeo and Juliet in 9th Grade and Hamlet in 10th won’t necessarily appreciate those masterpieces more if their teachers apply a “lens of social justice.”
That the stewards of Henry Folger’s creation believe antiracist Shakespeare will excite the public only shows how clueless they are about common tastes.
They want a scholar-activist who will propel the Folger into the multicultural 21st century, but their action illustrates something else: the divorce of elite institutions from the American people.
This withdrawal is especially regrettable at the present time.
In 1970, 1-in-13 bachelor’s degrees were in English.
Today, it’s less than 1-in-60.
The field is marginal, and with good reason.
Will an undergrad who enjoyed Henry IV in high school want to take a class with a teacher who trades in white guilt?
A few years ago, a pack of angry students at Penn pulled down a portrait of Shakespeare in the English department and replaced it with one of contemporary poet Audre Lorde.
Faculty didn’t stop them.
Why select a field that its own practitioners don’t respect?
Leisure habits are declining as well.
Twenty years ago the National Endowment for the Arts reported that 43% of 18-24-year-olds had not read a single poem, play, novel, or short story in the preceding 12 months.
Since then, with every successive iPhone, literary reading has diminished ever more.
This is a terrible loss.
We need the Folger and other institutions to maintain Shakespeare, Whitman etc. in the lives of ordinary Americans.
Make it fun and illuminating, not troubling and culpable.
The director of the Folger regrets that people consider Shakespeare a unique “source of wisdom and humanity,” but that faith is what keeps the legacy going.
People like Karim-Cooper who traffic in identity politics are righteous scolds.
They dislike our laughter at Falstaff’s raillery and fascination with Iago’s deviltry.
These leaders will pass away, just as the Puritans who closed the theaters did in the 17th century.
Unfortunately, the damage they do will outlive them.
Washington, D.C
‘Unacceptable’: Man killed in shooting near elementary school’s track meet in DC – WTOP News
Officers are searching for three suspects who police said hopped out of a vehicle and fired at a man walking along a sidewalk near the school’s track in the 800 block of 26th Street NE.
A man is dead after he was shot Tuesday as an elementary school track meet was underway at a vacant high school in Northeast D.C., police said.
Officers are searching for three suspects who police said hopped out of a vehicle and fired at a man walking along a sidewalk near the school’s track in the 800 block of 26th Street NE.
“No child should ever have to experience what was experienced today,” D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said.
The suspects took off after the shooting, which happened just before 2 p.m., Smith said. The vehicle police believe the suspects used was found in the Fort Lincoln area, and it was on fire.
Police haven’t identified the man who died at the scene, Smith said during a 4 p.m. news conference.
The elementary school was holding a track meet at Spingarn High School, which has been closed for more than a decade.
“During an elementary school track meet individuals opened fire, putting the lives of our children at risk, and any use of a firearm in our community, especially near our schools, around our children, is unacceptable,” Smith said.
It’s unclear whether the suspects fired in the direction of the school when they shot and killed the man.
There are several schools nearby, including Two Rivers Public Charter School and Phelps High School. A D.C. schools spokesperson said all public school students are safe and accounted for.
“We are continuing to work very closely with our DCPS schools and charter schools to reunite our kids who are still in some of the classrooms with their parents and with their families,” Smith said.
Smith said law enforcement is reviewing footage of the shooting and working to find the suspects.
“I’m a track athlete. I like to be out in public and I like to be able to recreate, and we want our children to be able to do that in safe spaces,” Smith said. “We’re going to do everything we can to find out who these individuals are, and we’re going to hold them accountable.”
Smith said anyone with information about the shooting can call police at 202-727-9099 or text at 50411.
WTOP’s Mike Murillo reported from the scene.
WTOP’s Ana Golden contributed to this report.
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Washington, D.C
The NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT, America’s National Night of Remembrance, from Washington, D.C. Sunday, May 25
Hosted by Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise with Performances by
Robert Patrick, Gretchen Mol, Blair Underwood, Loren Allred, Scotty Hasting,
Yolanda Adams, Mary McCormack, Angel Blue and Maestro Jack Everly
conducting the National Symphony Orchestra
WASHINGTON, May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On Sunday, May 25, the NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT airs live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol for its 36th annual broadcast. This beloved tradition honors the courage, sacrifice and service of our military men and women, their families, and pays tribute to all those who have given their lives in defense of our nation. The evening will feature powerful storytelling, musical salutes and poignant moments of remembrance. Hosting the concert are Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna and Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise – both steadfast champions of veterans’ causes and active service members.
“This concert is a powerful reminder of what Memorial Day truly represents,” said co-host Joe Mantegna. “It offers comfort, connection, and community for families who have lost loved ones in service to our country, honoring their sacrifice with the dignity and gratitude they deserve.”
“Joe and I are honored to host this annual tribute to our American heroes – past and present – that salutes the courage and commitment of those who have served and those who continue to serve,” continued co-host Gary Sinise. “The freedoms we enjoy are made possible by the brave men and women who wear the uniform.”
The NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT airs live on Sunday, May 25, 2025, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. E.T. on PBS, as well as to our troops serving around the world on American Forces Network. The concert will also be streaming on YouTube and www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert and available as Video on Demand, May 25 to June 8, 2025.
The 2025 NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT will feature the following segments:
250th Anniversary Army, Navy and Marine Corps
The concert will salute the 250th anniversary of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps to honor these service branches who have defended America even before it was a nation.
World War II 80th Anniversary – featuring acclaimed actor Robert Patrick (TULSA KING, 1923, PEACEMAKER).
A salute to the millions of Americans who served the nation in World War II in uniform and on the home front. On the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, the concert will share the story of U.S. Marine Veteran Don Graves, who fought as a flamethrower at the bloody 36-day Battle of Iwo Jima, a volcanic island of strategic importance to the invasion of Japan and the end of the war. Members of the Greatest Generation will be honored on stage.
Gold Star Families Tribute – with SAG Award-winning actress Gretchen Mol (BOARDWALK EMPIRE, MILLERS IN MARRIAGE).
The concert will remember and honor our fallen heroes and Gold Star Families with the poignant and inspiring story of Gold Star Wife and mother of two, Krista Simpson Anderson, whose beloved Green Beret husband was killed in May of 2013 in Afghanistan when their sons were toddlers.
Vietnam War Dustoff Crews – with Emmy/Grammy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated actor Blair Underwood (QUANTICO, LONGLEGS, L.A. LAW).
The concert will honor the courageous Army Air Ambulance Units of the Vietnam War with the story of helicopter pilot Col. Otis Evans, (Ret.). At great risk and danger under enemy fire, Evans and his crew rescued wounded troops in remote locations. Commonly called “Dustoff,” their radio call sign, it is estimated that these life-saving air medevac units evacuated 900,000 casualties during the war.
This inspiring night of remembrance will also feature performances by: country music star and wounded Army combat veteran Scotty Hasting; multi-platinum selling singer, songwriter and recording artist Loren Allred (THE GREATEST SHOWMAN); four-time Grammy-Award Award-winning Gospel music legend Yolanda Adams; Tony Award-nominated star of stage and screen Mary McCormack (HEELS); two-time Grammy Award-winning soprano Angel Blue (AIDA at the Metropolitan Opera); and the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly.
In tribute to all the members of our armed forces, the annual audience favorite Salute to Services features the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Service Color Teams. Also participating are members from The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, The U.S. Army Chorus, The Soldiers’ Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band, The U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters, vocalists from the Quantico Marine Band, The U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants, and the Armed Forces Color Guard provided by the Military District of Washington, D.C.
The NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT is pleased to welcome back Lockheed Martin as lead corporate sponsor. Lockheed Martin’s commitment to the military and veteran community, integral to the center of everything it does, begins with the veterans, National Guard and Reservists, and military spouses that comprise more than one-fifth of its 121,000 employees. Lockheed Martin’s charitable investments are made to causes that support service members, veterans, and their families. Lockheed Martin always works to make a positive impact on the lives of those who have served our nation, never forgetting those who made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedoms.
The NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT welcomes back the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans as lead underwriter, a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding leaders by bestowing upon them the prestigious Horatio Alger Award and lifetime membership in the Association. to more than 37,000 deserving students. Through the Association, Horatio Alger Members and supporters ensure the American Dream for future generations by sponsoring one of the nation’s largest privately-funded, need-based scholarship programs. Over the past 40 years, more than $265 million has been awarded in undergraduate, graduate, military veteran and career and technical education scholarships to more than 37,000 deserving students. In addition to financial assistance, the Association provides comprehensive support services to its Scholars enabling them to succeed academically, personally, and professionally.
The concert is also made possible by grants from: the National Park Service, the Department of the Army, General Dynamics, 84 Lumber, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, PBS and public television stations nationwide. Air travel is provided by American Airlines.
The program is a co-production of Michael Colbert of Capital Concerts and WETA, Washington, D.C.
For images and additional information, visit PBS Pressroom at www.pbs.org/pressroom
Visit the program website at http://www.pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert/home/
Connect with us on:
http://www.facebook.com/memorialdayconcert
twitter.com/MemorialDayPBS (#MemorialDayPBS)
https://www.instagram.com/memdaypbs/ (@memdayPBS)
@memdaypbs on TikTok
SOURCE Capital Concerts
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