Black Heaven in Merced, CA

Heaven is a journey. It is a space of reflection, renewal, amends and forgiveness. If the creative spirit, I'll call it love is the kind of love that is present and available, then this is the space Kim McMillon, Ph.D., imagines in her play, "Black Heaven."

The topic is hot; however, none of the celestial beings go there as the formally embodied are able to reflect on their past lives in earthly flesh bodies and forgive themselves their trespasses even if those in the audience still living with their choices' consequences, do not.

After all Heaven, Black or otherwise is an embodied space that looks and feels like home.

Kim's Black Heaven is a space of belonging and tolerance. The audience sees this as even uninvited guests speak for a moment before silenced.

It is a space where spirits rise and fall like the tides. The chorus is not a lament but a joyous celebration. Perhaps this gathering is so peopled because Kim as orchestral arranger found within each hope and betterment.

The playwright says,"Her goal is to help people heal while our country is going through difficulties."

Human beings are flawed. None of us is perfect, so the moderators Booker T. Washington and commenter W.E.B. Dubois even August Wilson, are as well. 

The playwright says, "The reason I chose W.E.B Dubois is that yes he is flawed, but he moved the needle."

We do the best we can with what presents itself--opportunites and challenges. Some choices are bad ones that can't be undone just like speech one cannot retract. 

Black Heaven is an opportunity to sit or stand in the between and allow our experiences to both flood and release. There is nothing we can do with what is past or those who have passed on except do better, be better at this living thing. Make amends for wrong doing if you are alive and for ancestors who have passed on. 

This is how we heal. 

Betterment is a choice we can all make given this opportunity to be alive. Do we continue the drama or act as a balm? Do we correct the wrong or take refuge in privilege? 

The director wrote in a text to me that the Sunday matinee at Unity of Merced was so packed that some people were standing.

"They laughed a lot. It was beautiful." McMillon said. 

"I wrote Black Heaven specifically to heal people, to help them out of fear mode. So when the [characters] were saying 'I am Black and Beautiful,' if they were not Black in this lifetime, the words were to heal those lifetimes when they have been in Black bodies, but have no memory of that.

"A gentleman told me this play should be in every city."

This is certainly possible. Black Heaven is mobile. Contact the spirit medium a.k.a. director and playwright Kim McMillon and see when she can arrange a call back: kimmac@pacbell.net

Kiddos to the excellent cast: