In Memoriam—Rob Penny

Rob Penny

The University of Pittsburgh community was saddened by the loss of Robert Lee “Rob” Penny, associate professor of Africana studies and playwright-in-residence of Kuntu Repertory Theatre (KRT), who died late March 16 of a heart attack. Penny was 62.

Born in Opelika, Ala., and raised in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, Penny began teaching in Pitt’s Department of Africana Studies in 1969 and was chair of the department from 1978 through 1984. Penny, a member of the congress of African People during the 1970s, was committed to fighting racism and inequality, often using his writing to explore social issues. He and playwright August Wilson cofounded Black Horizon Theatre in Pittsburgh and Kuntu Writer’s Workshop. In 1974, Africana studies Associate Professor Vernell A. Lillie started KRT as a way of showcasing Penny’s playwriting talents.

His plays also have been produced by New Federal Theatre in New York City, ETA Performing Arts Foundation in Chicago, the Billie Holiday Theatre in Brooklyn, and other venues. His works include: Little Willie Armstrong Jones, Murderer on the Hill District, Who Loves a Dancer?, Boppin’ With the Ancestors, and Nefertari Rising.

Said Lillie about her colleague: “I’m hoping that people will realize that this poem, written by Rob Penny, represents the fundamentals that guided his work and his life: ‘Art is life analyzing itself in struggle and outcome. Let us preparing warriors and women and men make art of you, a celebration in life’s movement.’”

Penny is survived by his wife, Timau Betty Penny; three sons, Johnny of the Hill District, Robert Lee Jr. of Duquesne, and Kadumu of the North Side; a brother, Roy Lee Sr., and two sisters, Ann Penny and Betty Jean Penny, all of Homestead; and a brother, Jefferson Davis Jr. of Atlanta.