Lincoln Center cancels Mozart and goes woke — based on a historical lie
By: nypost (New York Post)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
When Black Lives Matter becomes a marketing strategy, facts offer little impediment to speaking "one's truth."
Take the case of New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, which banked its pandemic recovery on a narrative of its own abhorrence.
In 2020, the center began promoting a story that a vibrant black community known as San Juan Hill had been deliberately snuffed out in the 1950s to make way for its creation.
"The displacement of Indigenous, Black, and Latinx families that took place prior to the construction of our campus is abhorrent," declares the center's "Message on Our Commitment to Change."
"We may never know its full impact on those dispossessed of the land on which Lincoln Center sits. But only by acknowledging this history can we begin to confront the racism from which our institution has benefited."
With the blood-and-soil essentialism of today's identity politics, this commitment fell in line with the new progressive rhetoric of land acknowledgments, colonialist dispossession and unearthed legacies of systemic oppression.
The story was also left unchallenged by the many news sources that repeated it.
For the racial pathologists, the center's four-block campus obviously owed its existence to the destruction of a historic black neighborhood, paving over those "Indigenous, Black, and Latinx families" with white travertine and white culture.
These days, such self-abnegation offers a chance for our managerial class to treat their organizations' supposed pathologies with a patent mixture of tinctures, elixirs and balms.
For Lincoln Center's leadership, this has meant attacking from within an institution largely dedicated to the culture of the West by developing programming and even a new campus plan based around this original sin of race-based displacement.
In consequence, last summer the center canceled its "Mostly Mozart" festival in favor of more "inclusive" fare — sponsoring rappers, pop groups and an LGBTQ mariachi band while hanging a 10-foot-wide disco ball above its fountain.
This summer's programming, just announced, will lead off with "the debut duet of two superstar queens from the blockbuster reality competition 'RuPaul's Drag Race,'" followed by "Argentinian queercore," comedians of "Indian heritage" and "silent disco."
Shanta Thake, the center's chief artistic officer, pledged to "really confront our past head-on as we move into the future" by "opening this up and really saying that this is music that belongs to everyone" — implying, of course, that Mozart does not belong to everyone.
Yet as with much of today's racialized mythology, this new battle of San Juan Hill has been a story of wishful thinking.
There indeed was a time when this area was a nexus of black New York.
But its cultural height had come and gone long before Robert Moses turned his attention to redeveloping this outmoded and fire-prone section of the West Side.
By then, the "entire area was in an advanced state of decay," according to the city.
The Lincoln Square Renewal Project of 1955 was remarkable not for the 17 blocks it cleared but for what was created in its place: a Manhattan campus for Fordham University, a new headquarters for the American Red Cross, 4,000 units of middle-income housing and a home for multiple performing-arts organizations of world renown.
As Lincoln Center took ownership of its parcel, it kept close tabs on the residents it helped relocate.
Most of them remained in Manhattan, with 900 families staying on the Upper West Side.
A study of the first 742 relocated showed that they mainly moved into larger quarters, all with up-to-date sanitary conditions.
Most notably, for all the "abhorrent" claims of the "displacement of Indigenous, Black, and Latinx families," an internal census revealed a population that was, in fact, overwhelmingly white, with a ratio of three to one, while the area's black population was in the single percentage points.
As it turns out, Lincoln Center's self-accusation has been nothing more than a false confession.
The year 2020 deserves a reckoning in more ways than one, but the race hustling in our institutions is a good place to start.
In the case of Lincoln Center, this distortion of the historical record to satisfy the whims of identity-obsessed elites has distorted reality itself and undermined a historic institution, Mozart and all.
James Panero is executive editor of The New Criterion, from whose May issue this article is adapted.
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Such bullshit destruction of American greatness
"In the case of Lincoln Center, this distortion of the historical record to satisfy the whims of identity-obsessed elites has distorted reality itself and undermined a historic institution, Mozart and all.
there's some sort of mass mental illness taking place among these people. It's fascinating to watch. Some sort of combination of self-loathing, misanthropy and boredom.
I don't think it is mental illness. On the one hand, the people driving this sort of nonsense are intentionally promoting narratives like this for the purpose of achieving a goal. For those they target, they get an "idea" revolving around perceived injustice that is simple and easy to understand. Even when articles like this one expose the lie, many, if not the majority, prefer to stick with the lie because the idea gives them a sense of righteousness. A sense that they are not like the people the lie casts as the bad guys. The sense of righteous indignation assures them that they are one of the good guys.
So... Mozart's American now?
Would it have been better to have left it an "entire area was in an advanced state of decay," as the city said it was?
They lie and they cheat ... and they run our institutions.
You don't have any institutions that you own. And, frahkly, I am getting 'full' of these latent bigoted statements from this unidentified group you all participate. After all, we are constantly 'fed' the narrative that you all are colorblind, and are not causing division. . . but you have these comments which betray that with constant and continuous digs and slights against people of color! And you wonder why this bull never finds a good place to end!
What did everyone expect a brown majority to deliver? The United States will not continue as a Eurocentric country. The problem with that is (what we consider) Western culture is not being replaced with anything equally aspirational. Indigenous cultures really weren't the innovators that laid the foundation for modern civilization. The indigenous past does not measure up to the standards of civilization that humankind has come to expect.
A brown majority will need more than victimhood to legitimize its place in the history of civilization.
there is a word for your perspective but it is not permitted here
Correct? Right? True? People shouldn't be surprised that these words are incompatible with the political narrative of victimhood. And few are shocked by who tries to ban these words.
none of those are the word i had in mind
The depth of liberal white guilt is sad to behold.
Such idiocy should be pitied.
Copilot
Hello, this is Bing! I’m the new AI-powered chat mode of Microsoft Bing that can help you quickly get information about black community known as San Juan Hill .
You
Was San Juan Hill a black community?
Copilot
Certainly! San Juan Hill was indeed a predominantly Black community in New York City. Let me share some historical context:
At the turn of the 20th century, Manhattan’s Upper West Side was home to the neighborhood of San Juan Hill. This area and its surrounding environs housed a diverse population primarily composed of African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, and Puerto Ricans. The community was incredibly cosmopolitan, with residents hailing from various parts of the United States and the Caribbean. Here are some key points about San Juan Hill:
Diverse Population:
Evidence of diversity abounded in San Juan Hill. You could find ethnic food from different cuisines offered at restaurants and groceries, a variety of clothing styles on display, and a mix of religious denominations and preaching styles in the local churches.
The array of languages and accents heard in public reflected the multicultural nature of the community.
Migration and Growth:
Like many other migrants and immigrants, people came to San Juan Hill to escape conditions in their home regions and to experience the excitement and opportunities of New York City.
The Black population in Manhattan grew significantly during this period. By 1900, it had burgeoned to over 60,000, with more than half of that number being born outside of New York.
Cultural Development:
The mixing of people from various economic classes and ethnic backgrounds turned San Juan Hill into a multicultural representation of the African diaspora.
The neighborhood became an incubator for rich cultural development, fostering art, music, and other forms of expression.
Residential Realities:
Unfortunately, racial intolerance among Manhattan’s white residents also grew as the Black population increased.
Increased harassment by whites pushed the city’s Black population into ever-more-limited residential spaces.
San Juan Hill, for a time, claimed the bulk of this community. At one point, it was one of the most congested neighborhoods in New York, with nearly five thousand residents on a single block.
San Juan Hill played a significant role in shaping the cultural fabric of New York City, and its legacy continues to be remembered today. If you’d like to explore more about this fascinating community, feel free to ask!
Really says absolutely NOTHING about the area when the Lincoln Center was built, though!
I am posting information and you are posting babble.
My words were in plain, ordinary English.
Absolutely no one can honestly dispute that my post did not make sense.
Usingthe web
Robert Moses, the influential urban planner and builder in New York City, played a significant role in the development of Lincoln Center.
Lincoln Square Renewal Project:
In the mid-20th century, Robert Moses led the Lincoln Square Renewal Project (1955-1969). This ambitious urban renewal initiative aimed to transform the Lincoln Square neighborhood into a modern cultural hub.
The project involved demolishing existing buildings, relocating residents, and creating new public spaces. Moses envisioned a grand cultural center that would house performing arts venues, including the renowned Lincoln Center.
Lincoln Center’s Creation:
Mostly Mozart Festival, which began in 1966, filled a summertime scheduling gap at Lincoln Center.
At the time, Lincoln Center was still under construction as part of the Lincoln Square Renewal Project. The area was being transformed from a neighborhood of mainly lower-income minorities, some artists, and hundreds of businesses into a mid-century temple of marble modernism.
Moses’s influence was evident in the design and layout of Lincoln Center, although his decisions were not without controversy.
While Moses’s vision contributed to the creation of Lincoln Center, it’s essential to recognize that his approach often disproportionately affected minority communities.
The festival’s location within this urban renewal context reflects the complex interplay between cultural aspirations and the social consequences of large-scale development projects.
When did the topic become about him?
Hey, the fixation on racism knows no boundaries!
San Juan Heal: The Evolution of Lincoln Center and Its Troubled History ( https_nysmusic.com)
San Juan Heal: The Evolution of Lincoln Center and Its Troubled History
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts occupies a three-block area of the Upper West Side of Manhattan, bordered by Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues to its sides, and 62nd and 65th Streets at its top and bottom. 80 years ago, this area had a different name: San Juan Hill.
Phipps Houses, 235-247 West 63rd Street. Wurts Bros, 1944 – Museum of the City of New York
San Juan Hill was a vibrant, predominantly Black community in Manhattan, inhabited by over 7,000 families and 800 business who were later displaced by “urban renewal” efforts. These efforts, led by the infamous Robert Moses, targeted San Juan Hill as a slum to be cleared, citing loosely hidden racial prejudices angled to improve the city’s appeal to middle-class white Americans.
Up until its destruction, San Juan Hill was a thriving Black neighborhood with great pride. The neighborhood is cited as the birthplace of Bebop music and The Charleston. Notable residents included pianists Thelonius Monk and James P. Johnson, as well as Arctic explorer Barbara Hillary, the first Black woman to reach the North and South Poles.
Robert Moses spearheaded numerous programs similar to slum clearance. He served as the Secretary of State of New York from 1927-1929, and despite never being elected to an office, he is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of New York City. When FDR’s New Deal freed up millions of dollars for infrastructure projects, Moses planned out systems of parks, swimming pools, expressways, and bridges across New York City, many of which still stand today.
In addition to these efforts to expand New York’s community spaces, Moses began the slum clearance projects, based on the idea of eradicating what he viewed as “blight.” He served as Chairman of the Committee on Slum Clearance in New York City, and used the precedent of eminent domain to seize San Juan Hill and declare it an unlivable slum. The neighborhood was flattened, and the City of New York broke ground on May 14, 1959 to begin the construction of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
President Eisenhower Breaking Ground at Lincoln Center
When Lincoln Center was built, the poignant Opera House that faces Columbus Avenue was built with its back to the Amsterdam Houses, a public housing development on a neighboring block to its west. Musician Etienne Charles, in conversation with NPR, pointed this out. “You can make huge statements with architecture. It’s body language with bricks.”
As it stands today, Lincoln Center hosts the country’s highest caliber of performing arts, including the New York Ballet, New York Philharmonic, and the Metropolitan Opera. Nevertheless, as it continues to celebrate that excellence, the development stands as a reminder of the thriving neighborhood that once existed on those blocks.
Today, on West 65th Street, a 150-foot mural spans the side of David Geffen Hall, commemorating San Juan Hill, the artistry that was born there, and the people who were ultimately displaced by the construction of Lincoln Center. Created by Nina Chanel Abney, the mural was commissioned by Lincoln Center alongside The Studio Museum in Harlem and Public Art Fund.
The abstract, colorful work centers words such as “homage,” “honor,” and “culture,” a commemoration of San Juan Hill that reminds passersby of the rich history that stood on the ground now occupied by Lincoln Center. The title of the work – San Juan Heal.
In addition to installations like San Juan Heal, Lincoln Center is taking initiative to create an inclusive and relaxed atmosphere for the community. Henry Timms was appointed as President and CEO of Lincoln Center in 2019. Under his leadership, the organization began summer programs like Summer For The City, and expanded the repertoire and diversity of music and art performed at the Lincoln Center venues.
Timms began the Summer For The City festival in 2022, aiming to help “loosen up” the performing arts center. For much of the summer during the inaugural celebration, its regal campus was covered in turf carpeting, eclectic seating options, and in 2023, a sea of pink plastic flamingos.
After years of exclusivity, it is safe to say that Lincoln Center is beginning to loosen up and turn away from the stuffy elitism that infused the highest-brow of American performing arts.
The original Lincoln Center festival was discontinued before Timms arrived on scene, citing quality over quantity of programming. This also came with the scrapping of a diverse selection of performances coming from all around the world, showcased each summer at Lincoln Center.
In the years after, the team decided to focus on the Mostly Mozart Festival, an annual summer selection of performances by orchestras from across the country. In 2023, the festival was led by Jonathon Heyward, the first Black music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the youngest music director of any major orchestra in the United States.
Lincoln Center began in direct opposition to the Black communities it flattened in order to be built. For years, it stood for the elite, the exclusive, and predominantly, the white. To casual passersby, the mural remembering San Juan Hill by the organization that facilitating the neighborhood’s demise gives due pause to the integrity of the installation. However, as the organization begins to reflect on this troubled history and implement changes and programming to address it, reconciliations are slowly making way.
Journeying back to San Juan Hill evokes a rich history somewhat forgotten by the upscale neighborhood of Lincoln Square. Looking back once again, the native Lenape people of the region also have claim to the area. In realizing a community once neglected, another is regrettably pushed to the side, but as Lincoln Center begins to grapple with the colonizing history it stands for, the native people of Manahatta still await.
anyone interested in the racist history of robert moses ?
No, not really.
Let me guess:
Robert Moses was a racist and always was.
America is and always has been a racist nation.
Just conveniently ignore what nation on earth has the most immigrants of ALL colors as that doesn't fit the 'racist' narrative some liberals like to espouse endlessly..
End of story.
You
Was Robert Moses a racist?
Copilot
Usingthe web
Robert Moses, the influential urban planner and builder in New York City, held patently bigoted views. His legacy is marked by actions that disproportionately affected minority communities. Here are some key points:
Low Bridges on the Southern State Parkway: In his monumental biography of Moses, The Power Broker, Robert A. Caro revealed that Moses ordered engineers to build the bridges on the Southern State Parkway extra-low. The purpose was to prevent buses (presumably filled with poor Black and Puerto Rican passengers) from accessing Jones Beach. This decision was rooted in racism and classism.
Other Discriminatory Actions:
Urban Renewal Projects: Moses bulldozed minority neighborhoods for urban renewal projects.
Harlem Playground: A Harlem playground designed by Moses featured simian-themed details, reinforcing racial stereotypes.
Pool Water Temperatures: Moses kept water temperatures low at certain city pools to discourage African American swimmers, whom he believed to be cold-intolerant.
Legacy and Controversy: Moses’s reputation declined after the publication of Caro’s biography. While he left a lasting impact on New York City’s infrastructure, his racist views and actions cannot be ignored.
In summary, Moses’s legacy is complex, but there is ample evidence of his racist attitudes and discriminatory practices in his public works. 🏙️🏙️
Oh, God, maybe we should all call for the Lincoln Center to be torn down so people won't be going around getting their feelings all hurt.
"Obviously this cannot be easily resolved. Caro quotes one of Moses’s top aides as saying the height of the bridges was done for racist reasons, but increasingly that story has been questioned as not credible. Buttigieg should tailor his remarks to reflect what is historically unimpeachable — and we should be more careful to double-check on the latest views of historians. Even a Pulitzer Prize-winning book is not always the last word on a subject."
What?!?!
You mean you wish to discuss facts and get in the way of the usual "We are racists" mantra???
was robert moses a racist
WT actual F would it matter today?
[✘]
A pathetic rebuttal.
Could be, he was a powerful NYC Dem.
So what? Who cares?
At this point, what difference does it make?
Not unless one is into white apologist babble, which I certainly am not.
This was the setting for West Side Story. In the opening scene, we see acres of rubble, and a sign: “This property purchased by the New York Housing Authority for slum clearance.”
Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke
You gotta understand
It's just our bringin' upke
That gets us outta hand
Our mothers all are junkies
Our fathers all are drunks
Golly Moses, naturally we're punks!
this is a list of classical music offerings at the Lincoln Center over the next 12 days
18
Donor Rehearsal: Olga Neuwirth and Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony
New York Philharmonic
9:45 am
Rose Studio: Glière, Poulenc, & Chaminade
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
6:30 pm
Olga Neuwirth and Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony
New York Philharmonic
7:30 pm
Outside Licensee
Under Northern Lights
New York Scandia Symphony
8:00 pm
Late Night Rose: Glière, Poulenc, & Chaminade
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
9:00 pm
19
Outside Licensee
Columbia University Orchestra Plays Adams, Dutilleux and Bartók
Columbia University Orchestra
7:30 pm
Olga Neuwirth and Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony
New York Philharmonic
8:00 pm
20
Young People’s Concert: Composing Inclusion
New York Philharmonic
2:00 pm
Olga Neuwirth and Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony
New York Philharmonic
8:00 pm
Apr 21
NY Phil Ensembles at Merkin
New York Philharmonic
3:00 pm
String Resonance
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
5:00 pm
22
23
24
Spring Gala with Gustavo Dudamel
New York Philharmonic
7:00 pm
25
Art of the Recital: Pamela Frank and Steven Prutsman
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
7:30 pm
Hilary Hahn and Sounds of Spain
New York Philharmonic
7:30 pm
Outside Licensee
Scott Ordway's "The End of Rain" in its New York Premier
Riverside Choral Society
8:00 pm
26
Hilary Hahn and Sounds of Spain
New York Philharmonic
8:00 pm
27
Outside Licensee
Riverside Symphony Featuring Virginia McDowell
Riverside Symphony
7:30 pm
Hilary Hahn and Sounds of Spain
New York Philharmonic
8:00 pm
Apr 28
CMS Kids: Paganini Caprices!
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
11:00 am
CMS Kids: Paganini Caprices!
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
1:00 pm
29
Master Class: Pamela Frank, violin
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
11:00 am
30
This article is a prime example of the real "culture war". A black administrator has lessened the number of classical music performances at an art center designed to appeal to upper class snobs who think only white European music is worth anything.
This is even though the Lincoln Center still has enough classical music performances to last anyone several lifetimes.
Does Mozart only appeal to upper class snobs? He didn’t compose for one genre but for many.
One of my favorites, not limited to snobs or do you disagree?
"James Panero is executive editor of The New Criterion, from whose May issue this article is adapted."
And poorly adapted at that. The original article:
Oh, the irony. So-called 'champions' of individuality and corporate freedom are bitching and moaning about how a music venue was chosen and changed from its status quo festival to something that "the company board" decided of its own volition. One would get the impression that somebody forced them to do it, namely, rappers, pop groups, and LGBTQ civic leaders. Oh, and let's not forget the obvious distain the columnist must personally hold for "10 foot wide disco balls as decoration.
I can't speak for Shanta Thake, and nor can this columnist since he uses the word "imply" . . . but, Mozart does belong to 'everyone' and so does all the other musician's classics too. Period.
Context helps.
Yep.