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As a theatre organization with longstanding roots in the South, the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) mourns the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. The deaths of Black and Brown people in our country as a result of police brutality have devastatingly become commonplace, and we acknowledge the suffering and longstanding systemic racism that has perpetuated a cycle of violence against the people we serve.
As an organization, we are resolved that our anti-racism commitment be reflected in the life and culture of our organization through policies, programs, practices, and partnerships as we continue to learn about racism. We are listening and recognize that we have work to do. We will do the work. Even in these uncertain and challenging times, we are committed to lifting up the voices of those who advocate for positive change, and we pledge to stand beside you. We pledge awareness. We pledge to listen to understand. We pledge to lead with our full hearts and minds. We pledge action.
In that spirit of action and accountability, SETC has been working to address our long history as a predominantly white-led organization. We started an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility initiative this year, and in the last month have formed a Task Force that has been working to address inequities in our organization. We are a place for storytellers, and we are dedicated to working together as one inclusive community to confront 400 years of marginalization, oppression, and bigotry.
Please, if you have the means, lift up organizations and entities that are working to fix what is broken in our society, that center the power of Black voices and stories. We are invested in doing the work to become more anti-racist and anti-oppressive, and to the hard work of educating ourselves and listening to our communities. Here is a short list of funds and organizations that our members and Staff have donated to in recent days, and we will continue to update our website for resources:
Black Lives Matter
Black Theatre Network
North Carolina Black Repertory producers of the National Black Theatre Festival
Southern Poverty Law Center
American Civil Liberties Union
The Movement for Black Lives
NAACP (local, state, or national office)
Reclaim the Block
Campaign Zero
The Atlanta Solidarity Fund
Black Immigrant Collective
Black Table Arts
The Okra Project
Louisville Community Bail Fund
See these links and additional resources on our SETC.org website.
Black Lives Matter. Black Theatre Matters.
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