Black Lives Matter
We at HowlRound Theatre Commons are in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, Movement for Black Lives, Campaign Zero, other Black-led organizations, and the ongoing protests for racial justice. We condemn the murders of George Floyd, Tony McDade, and Breonna Taylor; we grieve for them and the countless other lives taken by the racist police and white supremacists. We see the beauty, strength, righteous rage, and exhaustion of our Black colleagues, family, and peers. We acknowledge that an accumulation of centuries of injustice and inaction led to this moment.
We know the theatre field upholds white supremacy and its systems of oppression. We are a racially diverse team with white leadership operating in the context of a historically and predominantly white institution (Emerson College). We acknowledge that our complicity causes daily individual harm and creates systemic inequities in the not-for-profit American theatre field that fall heavily on Black theatremakers and Black theatres.
We also know that theatre can be a tool for individual, communal, institutional, and societal transformation. This belief led us to found HowlRound in 2011 as a platform to amplify progressive and disruptive ideas about theatre. The work of uplifting historically marginalized voices has been and will continue to be our daily practice. Our practice has been imperfect, and we certainly fall short of our aspirations. We will push past the discomfort of failure to examine our shortcomings and commit to be transparent and public with our learning.
HowlRound is co-created by theatremakers who share their knowledge and experience, advancing our vision of a theatre field where resources and power are shared equitably in all directions. Through a commons-based approach, HowlRound is committed to amplifying theatremaking practices in service of racial justice, anti-racism, and collective liberation.
There are many resource and action lists being circulated. Here are a few that we wish to share:
- artEquity alumni community’s Resources for Anti-Racist Action June 2020
- The Latinx Theatre Commons’ Statement and Commitments
- Martina and Kali Ilunga’s resource for Black folx, Protect Your Energy
In solidarity,
The HowlRound Team
Jamie Gahlon, Vijay Mathew, Ramona Rose King, JD Stokely, Dillon Yruegas, Armando Huipe, Shannon Knapp, May Antaki, Thea Rodgers, Travis Amiel