Synopses & Reviews
Based on the longest-running one-man show in San Francisco history now coming to Off-Broadway a hilarious, poignant, and disarming memoir of growing up black in an all-white suburb.
In 1972, when Brian Copeland was eight, his family moved from Oakland to San Leandro, California, hoping for a better life. At the time, San Leandro was 99.4 percent white, known nationwide as a racist enclave. This reputation was confirmed almost immediately: Brian got his first look at the inside of a cop car, for being a black kid walking to the park with a baseball bat.
Brian grew up to be a successful comedian and radio talk show host, but racism reemerged as an issue only in reverse when he received an anonymous letter: "As an African American, I am disgusted every time I hear your voice because YOU are not a genuine Black man!" That letter inspired Copeland to revisit his difficult childhood, resulting in a hit one-man show that has been running for nearly two years which has now inspired a book. In this funny, surprising, and ultimately moving memoir, Copeland shows exactly how our surroundings make us who we are.
Review
"A beautiful mix of wry humor and heartbreak, indignation and inspiration, a singular story of extreme isolation that speaks to anyone who’s ever felt out of place." San Francisco Chronicle
Synopsis
In the summer of 1972, when Brian Copeland was eight, his family moved from Oakland to San Leandro, California. At the time, San Leandro was 99.99% white and widely considered one of the most racist enclaves in the nation. This reputation was confirmed immediately: Brian got his first look at the inside of a cop car after walking to the park with a baseball bat in hand. Days later, Brian was turned away by several barbers who said we dont cut that kind of hair.” And that Christmas, while shopping at a local department store, Brian was accused of stealing and forced to empty his pockets in front of store security.
It was a time that Brian spent his adult years trying to forget, until one day an anonymous letter arrived that forced him to reevaluate his childhood: As an African American, I am disgusted every time I hear your voice because YOU are not a genuine black man!”
A poignant and disarming memoir about growing up black in an all-white suburb, Not a Genuine Black Man is also a powerful contemplation on the meaning of race, and a thoughtful examination of how our surroundings make us who we are.
About the Author
Brian Copeland is a comedian whose KGO radio program is the most popular in its time slot. Not a Genuine Black Man is currently in development as an HBO series. Copeland lives in San Leandro, California.