Act Two is set in the present day where Beneatha is Dean of the College of Social Sciences at a top flight state university in the USA. The American academics are at a conference in Nigeria and are visiting Beneatha’s house. The debate centres on whether to replace African American Studies with White Critical Studies.  The aim of White Critical Studies is to examine the power structures set up by white men, white privilege and white culture.  The argument is whether to make White Critical Studies a major and Black Studies an elective.  

This second act is dense with arguments among academics who are little more than mouthpieces for a particular point of view.  I am still not really clear on the issues here but I would like to carry on the debate.  It is hard being defined as the product of white privilege.  

Cherrelle Skeete is amazing travelling from age 24 to over 70, convincingly and always believable.  I remember how she took over the main part in Roy Williams’ The Fellowship at very short notice.  The play is a strong ensemble performance but I also think Zachary Momoh as Joseph Asagai in the first act and as Wale Oguns the rich African American post grad student in the second act, is an actor of great promise. There are many interesting issues in Kwame Kwei-Armah’s  play.  I wonder what he will write next?