A sneak peek at White Privilege : Radio Play before Episode 1 drops Friday, September 18th.
After Black-owned stations turn her down, light-skinned Black and Jewish journalist, Ashley Allen, lands a job at ultra-conservative channel, Sly News. Thing is, Sly thinks Ashley's white—and she doesn’t correct them. In fact, she straight passes. All to advance her career.
White Privilege: Radio Play is based on the Biblical story of Jewish Queen Esther who had to choose between her people and her favor. Like Esther, we have all been called for such a time as this.
CAST:
Ashley Allen – Natalie Wachen
Vinnie Valiant – Brian N. Taylor
Spencer Wilson – Chris Osbrink
Wahlid Walid – Eddie Goines
Elizabeth Ellis – Nan McNamara
Stephen Sly / Elijah Edelman – Joe Reitman
Charlie Cole – Ashley Chaney
Monica Edelman – Janora McDuffie
Effie Edelman – Andia Winslow
CREDITS:
Written & Directed by Natasha Lewin
Produced by DaVida Chanel Smith of Creating, Etcetera
Engineered by Tom Fritze at LoLA Studios
Casting Director Medge Ross
Music courtesy of J. Wells
Music by Bleu
Copyright 2020
I’m Natasha Lewin, the creator of the podcast, White Privilege. While this story is loosely based on my own experiences as a white-passing, Black and Jewish journalist, and while some of the situations and conversations are unfortunately based in our everyday reality, the show White Privilege is based on a story perhaps not so well known.
In the Old Testament, Esther is a Jewish queen married to King Xeres. After Haman—one of Xeres’ right-hand men — gets scorned by Queen Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, Haman demands Xeres eradicate all the Jews in the kingdom under genocidal law, to which King Xeres agrees. Mordecai begs for his sister’s help in freeing her people. He tells her she cannot keep silent. That perhaps she has come to her royal position for such a time as this.
But Esther’s unsure if she’s been called exactly for this moment. She misunderstands the position of power and favor she’s been granted. Afraid to lose her position as queen, worried she’ll create conflict with her husband, and greatly lacking the courage to stand up for her people, Esther refuses to help her uncle—or her fellow Jews. Granted with so much privilege, Esther is in danger of missing her divine assignment.
White Privilege the podcast is also a story about divine assignment. Like Biblical Esther, our modern-day Ashley Allen has been granted favor in the eyes of White America. She’s given the keys to a cushy, carefree world most races and religions will never have access to. As she slips further into the undertow of entitlement, Ashley is called to stand up and speak out against bigotry and hate—starting first with a career she worked so hard to build, and then with her own relationships and family. As Ashley’s confronted with the choice of embracing her ambition or denying her people, will she realize the purpose of her position? Would you?
We have all been called “for such a time as this.” Like Esther, like Ashley, the gifts you have been blessed with can also turn hate into love.
Whether you choose to heed the call and stand up for your people (which in turn stands up for ALL people), this is something only you can decide.
But I believe together, both white privilege and Black excellence, can put an end to hate and racism once and for all.
This is why I created WHITE PRIVILEGE. I hope you enjoy what you hear.