Conversations about Racism are Not Just Ages 18+

Our fourth installment features Khalia Davis, with our host Courtney J. Boddie from the Teaching Artistry with Courtney J. Boddie Podcast, who speaks about the importance of representation. Using herself as a symbol of solidarity, Khalia hopes that individuals who look like her will cease to question their sense of belonging within the arts. Overall, she views the arts as a form of action to amplify and empower marginalized communities. 

Celebrating Khalia’s new role as Artistic Director of Bay Area Children’s Theater (🎉), Courtney opens dialogue upon a recent play called “A Kids Play about Racism”, which reflects on the book “A Kids Book about Racism” written by Jelani Memory and the experiences centering around multiracial upbringing.

Davis had the pleasure to work with a cast composed solely of Black individuals for this production; a rarity in the arts world. The powerful components that erupted from this play included: 

  • Accenting the beauty and complexity of Blackness

  • Uplifting Black identities 

  • Helping non-Black individuals accept and embrace those who are Black

Within cast conversations, the anthem became Black is Not a Color but a Culture to signify that it is more than skin tone to identity and call attention to cultural appropriation: if individuals see and take, is one taking over something that does not belong to them or uplifting it and appreciating the culture for what it is? 

As this was a piece of work for young audiences, the play additionally supported families to create dialogue around the topic of racism. Davis recalled that during one of the performances a white presenting boy asked “Is it okay to be White?” and one of the actors replied automatically with “Yes, but it is also okay to be other than White”. For Davis this was a win, because it displayed empathy and understanding. Part of anti-racism work is to continue to deconstruct the hidden notions that White = Good and Black = Bad, which is deeply rooted in centuries-old white superiority methods of anti-black imagery and propaganda.

At the end of interviews, if you have noticed, Courtney asks: What does a racially just world look like? Davis ends the conversation by saying that “When someone does not have to question their identity by constantly shedding light on their differences where capacity extends beyond race, that will be a racially just world.” 

Join us next week when Courtney interviews Adia Tamar Whitaker, Artistic Director of the 20-year old Brooklyn based dance theater ensemble Àṣẹ Dance Theatre Collective.

Khalia Davis (she/her) is a bicoastal multidisciplinary artist splitting her time between the San Francisco/Bay Area and New York. Directed and devised new works with prominent theaters such as Bay Area Children’s Theater, Atlantic Theater Company’s Atlantic for Kids, New York City Children’s Theater, Spellbound Theatre and more. Ms. Davis recently served as the Director of Inclusion and Education with Brooklyn Children’s Theatre restructuring their children’s musical theater programming through an anti-racism lens and currently teaches with New York City Children's Theater, the Atlantic Acting School, and for Disney Theatrical Group leading music and movement workshops and facilitating audience and community engagement. She is also an Artistic Associate for the nationally-known arts education organization The Story Pirates. As a performer, she has worked regionally and toured nationally on both coasts. Recently named the Artistic Director of Bay Area Children’s Theatre and awarded the 2019 Emerging Leader Fellowship with TYA/USA and the NYCCT Leader Fellowship for 2019/2020. BA in Theater Arts from the University of Southern California. 


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