In The Refuge Plays, playwright Nathan Alan Davis introduces audiences to five generations of a Black American family. The three-part play begins in the present day and moves backwards in time to both the 1970s and 1950s. Each generation seeks some form of sanctuary at their long-time family home nestled in the woods of Illinois. As the family's stories unfold, they hardly acknowledge the events shaping the world beyond their sanctuary. These events include crucial moments in American history that worsened racial disparities in education, housing, economic security, and incarceration rates, while also bringing positive changes to civil rights and the overall economic condition of the country. Although the specific reasons for the family staying in the woods are not explicitly stated, it is plausible that any of these historical events or societal norms might have influenced a Black American's decision to seek refuge in their connection with the land and each other. The timeline below does not aim to address questions about the characters’ motivations and choices. Instead, its purpose is to offer context about an American society with which they have limited contact.

TIMELINE

Part 1: Protect the Beautiful Place

2020s

July 7, 2023 — Climate Change “Out of Control”

In a week declared by the United Nations to be the hottest ever recorded, Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres says, “The situation we are witnessing now is the demonstration that climate change is out of control.” The world shows increasing awareness of climate change and its potential consequences, particularly in relation to urban centers and food security. Moreover, 24 million people are said to be “climate refugees,” having been displaced from their homes due to the impact of our changing climate.

May 24, 2022 — Mass Shooting in Uvalde, Texas

Nineteen students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School are killed in one of many American mass shootings. The frequency of mass shootings and gun-related incidents in the United States has led to fears of personal safety, especially in public spaces.

June 17, 2021 — Juneteenth Federal Holiday

Juneteenth, the commemoration of the emancipation of Black Americans, becomes a federally recognized holiday in the United States. This formal recognition is an acknowledgement of the systemic erasure of Black American’s contributions, culture, and history by the US government and representative of changing attitudes in the country.

January 6, 2021 — Capitol Insurrection

Hundreds of armed citizens storm the Capitol in Washington DC in an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. A deepening political divide within the country creates fears of social unrest, violence, and the erosion of democratic norms.

May 2020 — Black Lives Matter Movement

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement gains significant momentum and widespread support in response to police violence and systemic racism. BLM activists organize protests and advocate for policy reforms.

May 25, 2020 — Murder of George Floyd

George Floyd, a Black man, is murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis, resulting in widespread protests against police brutality and racial injustice across the United States.

March 13, 2020 — Breonna Taylor's Death

Breonna Taylor, a Black woman, is killed during a police raid on her Kentucky apartment, sparking outrage and renewed discussions about the treatment of Black women by law enforcement.

March 13, 2020 — Coronavirus and Pandemic

The Trump Administration declares a national emergency due to COVID-19. The ongoing pandemic creates uncertainty about health, safety, and the potential for future variants. Furthermore, emergency government actions evoke a latent fear of a lasting impact on American civil rights.

Part 2: Walking Man

1970s

April 30, 1975 — Vietnam War Concludes

The Vietnam War ends as Saigon falls to the North Vietnamese army. During the two decades of war, there has been a notable rise in anti-war sentiment, especially among college-age Americans.

August 9, 1974 — Nixon Resigns

Facing impeachment over the Watergate scandal, President Richard Nixon resigns from office. The political turmoil surrounding his resignation adds to the economic uncertainties of the time.

July 25, 1974 — Supreme Court Case: Milliken v. Bradley

The Supreme Court blocks efforts to establish cross-district school busing in Detroit. In the years following Brown v. Board of Education, redistricting was frequently used to prevent school integration by re-drawing lines to create segregated neighborhoods. Government funding disproportionately favored white, suburban schools thus sustaining a form of legal segregation. The decision in Milliken v. Bradley established legal limitations on desegregation initiatives, exacerbating educational disparities for Black students.

October 1973 — Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) Oil Embargo

An oil embargo made by the OAPEC causes a period of economic instability. The country experiences high rates of inflation and unemployment, a phenomenon known as stagflation. Fear of a deep recession and financial insecurity weighs heavily on Americans.

November 16, 1972 — Tuskegee Syphilis Study Ends

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study, which began in the 1930s, ends after its unethical practices are exposed. The study withheld treatment for syphilis from Black American men without their consent, even after penicillin became standard care in the 1940s. The revelations of the study’s design highlighted medical racism and lead to significant reforms in research ethics.

Part 3: Early’s House

1950s

September 9, 1957 — Civil Rights Act of 1957

President Eisenhower signs this act into law. It aims to protect voting rights for Black Americans and is the first federal civil rights legislation passed since Reconstruction. The law faces significant challenges in enforcement.

September 4, 1957 — Little Rock Nine

Nine Black students attempt to integrate Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Known as the “Little Rock Nine,” their enrollment is met with violent opposition from white segregationists.

August 26, 1957 — Soviet Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Launch

The fear of a nuclear conflict with the Soviet Union increases with their successful long-range weapons program. The memories of the World War II (WWII) nuclear arms race and the devastating impact of the atomic bombs dropped by the US on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, remain fresh and vivid. Americans externalize the national fear by building bomb shelters and stocking up on supplies.

January 10, 1957 — Founding of Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference—a prominent civil rights organization that advocates nonviolent protests and plays a crucial role in organizing movement activities from the 1950s onwards.

December 5, 1955 — Montgomery Bus Boycott

Though not the first to do so, Rosa Parks’s refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger is the catalyst for the Montgomery Improvement Association, led by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott. After 13 months, the Supreme Court rules that segregation on public buses is illegal. The protest is hailed as the first major US demonstration against segregation.

August 28, 1955 — Murder of Emmett Till

Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black teenager from Chicago, is brutally murdered in Mississippi after he was accused of offending a white woman. The acquittal of the men accused of killing Till highlights the deep racial injustice prevailing in the South and galvanizes the civil rights movement.

April 12, 1955 — Polio Epidemic and Vaccine

The polio epidemic, which peaked in the early 1950s, is a significant concern for many parents. The fear of children contracting the disease is widespread until the introduction of the polio vaccine, licensed for use on this date.

May 17, 1954 — Brown v. Board of Education

The US Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling deems racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning the “separate but equal” doctrine and enabling desegregation in education.

February 9, 1950 — McCarthyism and the Red Scare

Senator Joseph McCarthy delivers his first speech on the threat of communism in America, provoking years of investigations by the House Un-American Activities Committee into suspected subversives in government, entertainment, and academia. McCarthy’s fervor stokes the country’s anti-Communist sentiments and fear of the Soviet Union that were pervasive following WWII. The targets of Red Scare-era investigations are not limited to suspected communists or sympathizers; minority groups, intellectuals, and artists who deviate from societal norms live with the threat of investigation.

September 2, 1945 — End of WWII

WWII officially ends with Japan’s surrender to the Allies. The next few months see more than four million American soldiers sent home and seeking employment. This massive shift impacts society and culture in the 1950s.

Published on September 21, 2023.

References