Not A Genuine Black Man at City Lights Theater Company

In 1971, Fair Housing advocates considered San Leandro one of the most racist suburbs in America. CBS aired a special on the situation. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights conducted hearings. The next year, eight-year-old Brian Copeland and his African-American family moved in.

In an evening of laughter, tears and sociology, Copeland’s acclaimed solo show Not a Genuine Black Man is a hilarious and insightful look at Bay Area history, and at the ways in which our upbringings make us who we are.

The longest-running solo show in Bay Area history, Not a Genuine Black Man celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. Copeland is thrilled to bring it back to City Lights for a rare San Jose performance — but finds it bittersweet that in 2025 the show is more relevant than ever. With the current administration’s actions against DEI, and books about the Black experience newly banned in schools, Copeland calls his show “my pushback on the war on diversity.” He says, “I’m not going to allow them to erase my story.”

Not a Genuine Black Man has brought Copeland critical acclaim as one of the Bay Area’s most talented and engaging solo performers. All the while, he and director Rob Reiner are currently developing the show for television.

“In a region where solo stage shows are performed with regularity, Black Man is the production to which all others must be judged. It’s that good, and that deeply ingrained in the theater scene.” –The Mercury News

Buy tickets by December 1, and you’ll pay $35 general and $30 for seniors, educators and students. On December 1, ticket prices go up to $40 / $35.