A California woman is suing her local library after it canceled her live performance of historic figures because three of the characters she would portray were black, while she is white.
The Pacific Legal Foundation reports it filed a federal lawsuit “on behalf of Annette Hubbell, a San Diego-based performer whose one-woman historical show was canceled by the Rancho Santa Fe Library solely because she is white.”
“San Diego County Library shut the door on Annette not because of what she performs, but because of what she looks like,” said Andrew Quinio, attorney for Pacific Legal Foundation. “That’s unconstitutional. The Equal Protection Clause forbids the government from denying Annette this opportunity because of her race.”
“Annette launched Annette Hubbell Productions in 2007, channeling her love for American history into live performances of 17 historical figures ranging from Harriet Tubman and Mary McLeod Bethune to Abigail Adams and Clara Barton. Her shows have been performed across the country for audiences of all backgrounds and ages,” PLF reports.
But not everyone is excited to learn.
“In 2023, the Rancho Santa Fe Library — a San Diego County Library system branch — contracted Annette to perform three historical characters of their choosing: Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, and Mary McLeod Bethune. Months later, library officials asked Annette to replace Tubman and Bethune with white characters, explaining that they were “uncomfortable” with a white woman portraying black historical figures,” PLF reports.
“Annette declined the race-based request. The library responded by canceling the show entirely,” PLF reports.
“History belongs to all of us. These are American stories — stories of courage, sacrifice, and resilience — they should be told, shared, and celebrated by everyone,” said Hubbell.
“It’s heartbreaking that the library chose to silence these stories because of my race. I’ve spent years bringing these characters to life with the care, respect, and honor they deserve. Using identity politics to ignore their legacy is unconscionable. To paraphrase Dr. King, I chose them for the content of their character, and that is what matters,” said Hubbell.
The case is Annette Hubbell v. Acosta, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
A libruary is a place for reflection, for reading, for picking out and checking out books, not for perfomances, suggestive materials, and sexually related entertainment……that belongs in a drag club.