The Seasoned Woman Speaks

One bone chilling winter afternoon, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, my husband Bill and I decided to get out of the confinement of our apartment and cruise through Harlem. As we were slowly driving past 125th street and Fifth Avenue, I had memory lapse. I did not recognize where we were!

While passing 126th Street going south on Fifth Avenue, appeared a huge splash of open sky and light. The familiar uptown Harlem side by side buildings were barriers to openness. There was never open space on that corner as either of us could recall.

Bill pulled over to the curb. Not speaking, we sat and stared at each other. Dr. Teers’ complete corner was flat. Not a brick or post nor pile of rubble was present. A green wooden fence surrounded the entire corner. I had to get out of the car and stand there to bear witness to the vacancy of her huge lot. I took pictures and sent the pictures and text messages to friends. How can anything be more devastating than death? How could a bent street signage serve as the only tombstone to identify Dr. Barbara Ann Teer’s National Black Theatre?

Dr. Teer’s National Black Theatre at Fifth Avenue and 125th Street in Harlem New York, stood as a sacred space dedicated to house the creative genius and spirit of African-American culture, especially the performing arts. Dr. Teer was the the National Black Theatre. She was the creative source from inception to completion of a real estate phenomena in central Harlem that would provide space for the Harlem community to experience and learn about African cultural arts uptown in their neighborhood. Barbara Ann was the magnetic power that fueled the engine that kept uptown creative genius relevant for the people who lived in her community in Harlem for decades.

Becoming Barbara Ann Teer

It was the early 1960’s when Barbara Ann came to New York from East St. Louis, Illinois, a very small, poor, underdeveloped town in Illinois just across the Mississippi River from the urban mid-west city of St. Louis, Missouri. Her young years were seldom free for carefree silly fun for the times were volatile. Barbara Ann unwillingly would have the deep scares left from the savage lynching of Emmitt Till, on August 28, 1955, from her home state of Illinois. By the time she became a woman in Harlem, she had absorbed the back to back shocks of the assassination of Medgar Evers on June 12, 1963, the murder of Malcom X on February 21,1965 and the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, on April 4,1968 and the slaughter Illinois by police officers on December 4,1969 of young Fred Hamilton and Mark Clark, as they slept in the organization’s Black Panther Party offices in Chicago, Illinois. Her view of the world, like many other Black Americans, would be deeply changed forever.

Barbara Ann Teer’s personal and spiritual luggage was fully packed with volumes of harsh truths to sustain her power of self liberation to live her dream of self determination in the Harlem community through the arts. She spent no time on hatred of white people but used America’s brutal history as fuel to push her agenda forward.

White Man’s Guilt Response

Money flows downward to make a semblance of “peace” with Blacks

During the 1960’s and 1970’s manipulative politicians, who needed the Black vote, passed legislation to fund inner-city development. New York City, especially Harlem, benefited from “White Guilt Funding”. The young liberal republican, John Lindsay was elected Mayor with substantial African-American support. Grants became available from corporations and government sources to assist inner-city African-American communities suffering from unemployment, drugs, failing schools, medical care and urban blight. Vacant decaying brownstones were rife throughout the community — many of them were offered free in lotteries. Real estate prices were flat and dirt cheap, but no one wanted to buy. Harlem was in a serious decline. Somehow Black churches, bars, liquor stores and hair salons continued to thrive in spite of the riots and protest marches.

Barbara Ann Teer was groomed and conditioned, from early childhood to adulthood, to understand survival in harsh times. In 1968, even though Harlem was experiencing hardships, she acquired an 8,000 sq ft unused vacant space for her National Black Theatre at Nine East 125th Street. The old commercial building with upstairs open space, crude wooden floors and old windows paved the way of her journey to self determination. The humble space provided her with a permanent location to begin planting her seeds for her dream of the local Harlem community owning their establishments.

Followers See the Light

Back in the day, La Zette Mc Cantz, a young mother living in Lincoln Public Housing on Fifth Avenue, doing non professional level modeling in local shows, found herself in need of strengthening her self confidence to execute smooth presentations. There was talk and gossip around the complex of a place, run by a Black woman, and within walking distance where aspiring models and dancers could get training to improve their skills.

La Zette made the decision to attend. Looking back, deciding to climb those stairs to the upper level of that old building, she thinks, was one of her better decisions she’d made in her young life. There, she and other local young Black women began to attend sessions called “Evolutionary Movement with Fatima”.

As time passed, the women formed bonds of sisterhood which served as the foundation of their spiritual home. Barbara Ann Teer’s National Black Theatre became their home base for learning self development. Although the upstairs, spacious and barren commercial space was not professionally finished, the women were so grateful to have a place to experience peace and African cultural enlightenment, which expanded their bodies and minds, that they began volunteering to enhance the space. Barbara Ann skillfully used all the creative resources at her disposal to enrich the lives of the participants in her space and the scope of the theatrical productions. Watching their undeclared leader handle difficulties, without panic while finding realistic solutions constantly, taught them impressive and invaluable life lessons of self-confidence.

NBT is a Sanctuary

NBT became their sanctuary. The humble site afforded them opportunity to be in the presence of Barbara Ann Teer’s magic. La Zette recalled that being in her presence and her positive attitude with regard to the power of Black people was infectious, so much so, she was unaware of her own evolution into a liberated woman was taking place for her and the core group of women at NBT. Volunteering to serve and contribute to the success of the organization became a function of this closely knit group of Harlem women with diverse cultural backgrounds and religious upbringing.

La Zette is a prime example of the complex and stratified layers of people living in the Harlem community and who benefited from this local creative outlet. Her persistence as an NBT arts advocate and promoter, may easily overshadow her artistic roots. La Zette is the daughter of Warren Suttles who along with Jimmy Ricks created the iconic singing group, The Ravens.

After adding two more singers, their brainchild group’s first performance was in 1946 at Harlem’s Club Barron at 132nd Street and Lenox Avenue. On December 13 1947, they became the first R&B group to have a recording, “Ol’ Man River”, to hit the national top 25 chart and they were the first R&B group to ascend the Pop charts. The Ravens are considered as one of the best, of all, the pioneering and successful Rhythm and Blues groups. In 1998 the Ravens, Harlem’s own, were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

La Zette’s unassuming attitude, considering her father’s legacy, exemplifies the wealth of untold stories of the hundreds of amazing talents, living side by side — unrecognized by their community. Harlem has been a community of many frustrated talented artists who want to be acknowledged by downtown/Broadway or Carnegie Hall — who consequently and directly benefitted from NBT.

Barbara Ann Teer’s philosophy that Black communities have all of the creativity needed to sustain African culture, without relying on white people downtown, has proven to be true for decades. Ms. Teer’s belief that having a viable Harlem venue was the key, the essential mandate, to fully implement her philosophy and mission. The results to expose and present the best in African-American culture through theater, music and dance uptown has proven to be true.

Timing Is Everything

When Barbara Ann Teer moved down the street from Nine East 125th to the new location 2031 Fifth Ave., at the corner of 125th St. and Fifth Avenue, the National Black Theater acquired a stable and more suitable space to call home. Quite fortuitously, the building soon caught fire and was burned to the ground.

Barbara Ann took full advantage of the times in which she lived. She flew into action. Liberal republicans were demonstrating their “love for Black communities” by declaring a War on Poverty  by making huge sums of money available to local organizations. The anti-poverty programs were designed to keep riots at a minimum. Real estate values in New York City were declining and Harlem was a wasteland.

In 1968, Barbara Ann Teer being smart and courageous found funding to buy an even larger 64,000 sq. ft. property that, no one at the time wanted. She became the first African-American woman in the arts in Harlem to buy a space dedicated to the development of African-American creativity.

La Zette Mc Cantz,

The Harlem community, the city at large and people from around the world, found their way to Barbara Ann Teer’s new glorious entrance at NBT in Harlem. Celebrities and ordinary local people rubbed shoulders attending parties, plays and concerts in the midst of some of the most extraordinary authentic African objects.

Success did not hinder her focus to include the people of Harlem, nor to present the best quality performances possible. LeZette remembered vividly  Harry Belafonte’s production of Lyrics From Lock Down in 2000 and “Do Whoop Love” by Ron Wyche as being appreciated by Dr. Teer — she always sat in the back row of the theater with a critical eye protecting the integrity and quality of NBT’s productions. The theatre had a few difficulties here and there but much success was enjoyed for years. Some of the most important people, in the United States and from abroad, came to celebrate ceremonies, some for religious services, and, others to bestow honors on Dr. Teer. Being involved in the many aspects of NBT, I learned management and coordination skills for community and local business groups. I evolved with confidence by being in her presence.

Her passing July 21, 2008 left me stronger than I was before I met her. My sadness is not in her making a spiritual transition, but that she will not see the reality of the strength I gained — transcending the young and angry terrified mother to a now fully liberated, confident African-American woman. I’m not alone. The foot print left on the planet by Dr.Teer is too unique to duplicate nor should it be. It was what is to be for all time.

My linkage to Dr. Barbara Ann Teer is to continue to liberate African-American women to believe in themselves and their power to change whatever needs to be changed in their lives. My work with the Volunteer Divas and Divos keeps me humbly focused on the work needed to serve as a conduit for the public to engage in African-American creative arts activities.

Currently, I’m organizing a community activity to honor and recognize the late Vivian Robinson, the founder of ADELCO, 1973 . The AUDELCO AWARDS recognizes off-Broadway writers, actors, directors, producers, stage technicians and all facets of performing theatrical arts that were actively presenting works to the public. The AUDELCO Awards and NBT were in partnership in paying tribute African-American exceptional artists for almost 50 years. Now, in 2022,  I am empowered to use my energy to generate interest in and audience appreciation for African-American cultural arts as I learned, many years ago, from Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, the founder of National Black Theater. As long as can I’ll continue volunteer work in the arts for Harlem.

A Time Bomb Waiting in the Wings for NBT Future?

Daughter Sade Lythcott and son Michael Lythcott are the heirs to Queen Mother Dr. Barbara Ann Teer’s legacy. In 2021, Sade entered into a joint partnership with Dasha Zhukov for $185 million for the construction of a 21 storied mixed use structure at the now leveled Barbara Ann Teer’ NBT location.  Work at the construction site is to begin in the Fall of 2022 and to be completed by 2024. The project w composition includes 222 apartments units, health/wellness services and retail commercial spaces. Theatre space for the returning National Black Theatre venue is to be located on floors three, four and five and occupy 30,000 sq ft.

Dasha Zhukov is the daughter of Russian oil magnate Alexander Zhukov and ex-wife of billionaire Russian oligarch Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich. She is a self-proclaimed Russian-born philanthropist and art collector. She founded the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow with her former husband and is also a founding board member of the recently opened $475 million New York performance venue the Shed.

Dasha Zhukov became the source of a scandal when a photograph was published of her reclining barefoot, in a chair, that, at its base, had a human body mannequin. A sexualized Black woman, lying on her back with her legs hoisted over her head. A seat cushion between her open thighs held Dasha.

Of course, Dasha’s artistic taste is her personal choice. But the work by Norwegian artist Bjarne Melgaard is certainly not to my taste, nor would I feel any differently if the roles were reversed?  It’s not what I would consider art nor furniture. Add a privileged White woman choosing to sit on top of it and you have not only someone with questionable taste, but dubious racial and gender consciousness.

Where D0 We Go From Here and With Whom?

The issue is bigger than the disrespect Dasha has demonstrated for Black women. One has to wonder how did Sade go about vetting this partnership. One would have hoped that in choosing a White or Black some consideration would have been given to finding an equally monied partner who would have been acceptable to her own African Queen Mother.

Again, Timing Is Everything

The timing of this partnership is ironic at best. Russia is at war with the Ukraine and with collective protests from the majority of countries on the planet, and including, with the protesters in their own country. Russian oligarchic, as a result of the invasion of a sovereign country, are having their assets frozen by American institutions and NATO banks. And yet, Dasha Zukova is the Russian money source for Sade’s rebuilding of NBT. perhaps, Dr.Teer’s spirit is rejecting the White woman’s association with her beloveds: her baby, National Black Theater, and her daughter, Sade.

Futurism said at its Best

Ultimately, the biggest question raised by this now vacant lot at Fifth Avenue and 125th Street is: what will the future look like for National Black Theatre? No doubt another big modern building is coming to Harlem and it will soon sit on this historic site. No doubt, it will serve the theater community with an expanded venue and hopefully some financial wherewithal. But will the proposed structure bare the authentic fingerprint that our Queen mother left on 125th Street in Harlem. The mission and the words of Barbara Ann Teer live on to instruct, motivate and guide us.

We are beautiful, imaginative, and gifted people, and we owe it to ourselves and to our future generations to restore, to create this beauty. We must begin to create our cultural centers where we can enjoy being free, open and Black. Where we can find out how talented we really are. Where we can be whatever we were born to be and not what we were brainwashed to be.

The 21 storied multi use structure will forever remain supported by our buried past.

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Theda Palmer Saxton PhD

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