Review: JUSTICE ON TRIAL at United Faith Christian Academy

Justice On Trial, an Off-Broadway legal drama, written by award-winning playwright, film maker, actor, and social justice advocate, Dr. Chad Lawson Cooper and executive co-producer and star of stage and screen, Harry Lennix, brought its powerful message of social activism and civil rights to the Queen City, Charlotte, North Carolina.  Two sold-out performances were hosted by the United Faith Christian Academy. 

Set in a courtroom, this thought-provoking, time-traveling depiction focused on three civil rights attorneys,  Ralph Carter (Attorney Robert Crump), who we affectionately known for his portrayal of Michael Evans,  the youngest sibling on the urban sitcom, Good Times,  Dr. Chad Cooper (Attorney Bryan Crump), and Dr. Candice Lucas (Attorney Lori Black) versus the Department of Justice represented by two bi-racial lawyers, Michael Atkins-Yawn (Attorney David Hong) and Dr. Dennis Williams (Attorney Clarence Thomas), who petitioned the United States Justice Department for long-overdue reparations for the African-American race whose ancestors were forcibly removed from their African continent and enslaved in the United States of the America, proverbially deemed as “The Land of The Free”. 

The significant component of the storyline is the summoning of prominent historical African-American ancestral "heroes" and "she-roes" (some of my personal favorites) as key character witnesses. 

The first witness called was the prominent civil rights activist, Dr. W. E. Du Bois portrayed by Du Bois’ biological great grandson, Jeffrey Du Bois Peck.  Historically, Dr. Du Bois was the first African-American to obtain a doctorate degree from Harvard University. He was also one of the key founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).  Du Bois made a strong case for reparations, outlining the disparity of educational advancement imposed by the restraints and conditions of slavery preventing social equality.

The second witness and my favorite one was the abolitionist Harriet Tubman portrayed by Alicia Robinson Cooper, the wife of Dr. Chad.  Harriet Tubman has always been one of my favorite historical "she-roes".  According to Wikipedia she made 13 missions to free 70 slaves using the Underground Railroad, a network of anti-slavery activists and safe houses.  And now, Harriet Tubman has been “raised from the grave” to testify in a courtroom designated to determine financial restitutions for the "kinfolk" of their ancestors who were enslaved. First, let me render kudos to Mrs. Cooper…what a super-talented singer she is.  Her song of freedom gave me goosebumps and awakened an inherent responsibility to seek more knowledge on the obtainability of reparations for my people.  She is a very captivating actor, who gave a compelling and heart-wrenching depiction of the importance of rewarding and preserving the legacy of Ms. Tubman, who risked her life to save others.  She also brought a measure of humor by flirting with the bailiff.

And the third witness was Emmett Till (Chad Cooper II) who entered the courtroom bloodied and blind in one eye. As you probably guessed, Chad is the son of the playwright, Dr. Chad Cooper, this labor of love is definitely a family affair.  As history dictates, 14-year-old Emmett Till, originally from Chicago, Illinois, was abducted, beaten, and murdered while visiting family in Mississippi, because he was accused of whistling at a white woman name Carolyn Bryant at a grocery store.  Carolyn’s husband and several other white men, allegedly beat Emmett, shot him in the head, tied a fan around his neck and threw his mutilated body in the Tallahatchie River.  This dramatization was the most traumatic - a tear-jerker for sure.  Emmett Till's story draws similar comparisons to the modern day tragedy of Trayvon Martin, who was murdered by a vigilante because he was a "innocent" Black youth at the wrong place...at the wrong time..

Subsequently, I was impressed with the portrayals of our historical figures.  However, I believe the scenes could have been condensed into a shorter and more feasible manner to maintain the patrons' attention span.  The production was nearly three hours long.    At the end, I asked one of the patrons what she thought about the production and her answer was, “It was way too long!”  Although the set resembled a courtroom, I feel that the some of the dialogue could be streamlined to align with terminology, rules and regulations that actually governs a courtroom.  For instance, there were some racial slurs traded between the prosecutors and defense attorneys that were degrading, like “Uncle Tom” and “House Negro”. No judge would have allowed that type of negative interaction. In addition, in the scene with Dr. W. E. Du Bois, The Judge (Dr. Maxine Bryant) actually left the bench and came down to offer compliments to the witness, Dr. Du Bois, to express how big of a fan she was.  I don’t think that behavior would be acceptable in a courtroom because it is imperative that the judge remain “unbiased” not showing preferential treatment to either side.  Also in the jury deliberations, even though it was intentional, there was also too many racial insults given mainly by juror Debbie Hickenbecker (Banissa Dalton) intended to make the case of why reparations should not be rendered.  I’m an African-American woman who is in favor of reparations and even I was offended by the slurs, even though I was aware that it was only a fictional depiction and not real life.  However, the elderly lady sitting next to me kept asking me, “Is this real?”

During intermission, Dr. Chad Cooper recognized community/religious leaders the recipients of the W. E. Du Bois Humanitarian Awards.  As a 16-year resident of Charlotte, NC, I was very impressed to see so many accomplished leaders that I had never heard of be given such high honors.  However, there were a few that I was familiar to include:  Reverend Dr. Robert C. Scott (St. Paul Baptist Church), Dr. Peter M. Wherry (Mayfield Memorial Missionary Baptist Church), Rev. Dr. Thomas Farrow, Jr. (Reeder Memorial Baptist Church), and Bishop Claude R. Alexander, Jr. (The Park Church).

In summary, I believe the message of social reform was successfully delivered by Justice On Trial. It deals with a topic many would like to sweep under the rug and forget.  It is great to see creatives highlight critical stories that need to be addressed, discussed, and place in the spotlight.  While a few scenes could benefit from revision for authenticity and pacing, the message of social justice and historical accountability comes through loud and clear.

For More Information On Justice On Trial, Visit Website:  https://www.thechadcoopercompany.com/upcoming-shows

Charlotte Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. THE COLOR PURPLE REVIVAL (Little Theater of Gastonia)

7.3% of votes

2. 1776 (Belmont Abbey College)

6.3% of votes

3. CABARET (Little Theater of Gastonia)

6.1% of votes

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