Have you ever attended an event and found yourself thinking: I can’t believe I’m actually here? That’s exactly what I was thinking on a recent Saturday evening.
I was asked to represent Compuware and welcome an audience of leading executives, artists, politicians and jurists to the Dr. Arthur L. Johnson Memorial Lecture (video here) that took place at Compuware’s headquarters in downtown Detroit. The lecture was in honor of Dr. Arthur Johnson, a distinguished Detroit civic and civil rights leader, former director of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, former vice president for university relations at Wayne State University and author of the widely read memoir, Race and Remembrance.
The lecture was an important part of the Sphinx Organization’s 15th annual music competition. For those who may not know (and until about three months ago I was one of you), the Sphinx Organization is dedicated to youth development and diversity in classical music. The lecture and dinner preceded the annual competition in Ann Arbor in which young black and Latino string players vied for prize money and scholarships.
Aaron Dworkin
Sphinx was founded by one of the most remarkable – and innovative – people I’ve met in years – Aaron Dworkin. Aaron is so many things … has received so many honors … it’s hard to know where to begin. He’s a world-renowned violinist and recording artist. He was a MacArthur Fellow and the very first person appointed by President Obama to the National Council on the Arts. Aaron is also a published poet, the author of a children’s book, a much sought-after guest speaker and a passionate and tireless change agent. He founded Sphinx to address the decades-long inequities of minorities in classical music. As Aaron puts it, “I used to look around on stage and wonder, Why doesn’t anyone up here look like me?”
I was introduced to Sphinx through the University Musical Society at U of M. Sphinx soon convinced me and several other Compuware folks to host one of their Random Act of Culture (RAC). What’s an RAC, you ask? It’s when classical musicians suddenly appear in the midst of unsuspecting onlookers and perform – like a flash mob, only with instruments instead of dancing. These pop-up concerts are then secretly videotaped, and the result posted online. (Ours took place in Compuware’s on-site fitness center. The musicians wore workout gear and were actually exercising … before picking up French horns and trumpets to play.)
Arthur Mitchell with the New York City Ballet
But back to the lecture … which wasn’t really a lecture in the classic sense. It was more of a dialogue between Aaron Dworkin and a man named Arthur Mitchell – who just happens to be the founder of the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
What an amazing man! He grew up on the streets of Harlem and was a gang member. A high school guidance counselor saw Arthur dancing the jitterbug and encouraged him to audition for the famous High School for the Performing Arts in New York City. Arthur wrote, “When I won the scholarship, I realized that I was in service to a force greater then myself – and that was my art form, dance.” He went on to become the first African-American in the New York City Ballet, where he quickly rose to the position of premier dancer. I love this quote: “The myth was that because you were black that you could not do classical dance. I proved that to be wrong.” Did he ever! For 15 years, Arthur Mitchell electrified audiences around the world with his superb, athletic and seemingly gravity-defying performances.
Then, he decided it was time to give back. At the lecture, he described the instant his life changed. One evening in 1968, he was in a taxi heading to the airport for a flight to Europe when the news came on the radio that Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated in Memphis. Arthur ordered the cab to turn around. In less than a year from that moment, he’d founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem with 30 kids in a church basement. Just two months later, there were 400 young people attending classes. According to The New York Times, “The Dance Theatre of Harlem has helped dispel prejudice on an international level … and has produced an all-black ballet company of stature and integrity.”
There I was, just a few feet from Aaron Dworkin and Arthur Mitchell, sharing memories and answering questions … and transporting the audience to places we had never been before. What did I take away from the experience?
I learned how these two remarkable men so embraced their artistic talent that they were able to use it to change the world. I learned about commitment and perseverance in the face of overwhelming adversity. I learned that innovation can be used to change minds and entire societies. And I learned a lot about courage … about confronting evil head-on … and having the guts to do something about it.
The fact that this remarkable event was generously and enthusiastically hosted by our company makes me very proud to be part of Compuware.
Until next time …
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