I stand with, and behind the Black Lives Matter movement.
I will use this time — and continue to make time — for deeper education, self-reflection, donation, and activism, understanding that allyship is a lifelong practice, and not a destination at which one can arrive.
I vow to use my privilege to amplify the voices of BIPOC artists.
I vehemently oppose all forms of prejudice within my industry, and commit to helping eradicate the systems of institutional racism that have too long oppressed and marginalized members of our theatrical community.
The white narrative will no longer be the only narrative. Enough.
With love,
Sarah.
“The problem is that white people see racism as conscious hate, when racism is bigger than that. Racism is a complex system of social and political levers and pulleys set up generations ago to continue working on the behalf of whites at other people’s expense, whether whites know/like it or not.
“...Racism is an insidious cultural disease. It is so insidious that it doesn’t care if you are a white person who likes black people; it’s still going to find a way to infect how you deal with people who don’t look like you. Yes, racism looks like hate, but hate is just one manifestation. Privilege is another. Access is another. Ignorance is another. Apathy is another. And so on. So while I agree with people who say no one is born racist, it remains a powerful system that we’re immediately born into. It’s like being born into air: you take it in as soon as you breathe. It’s not a cold that you can get over. There is no anti-racist certification class. It’s a set of socioeconomic traps and cultural values that are fired up every time we interact with the world. It is a thing you have to keep scooping out of the boat of your life to keep from drowning in it. I know it’s hard work, but it’s the price you pay for owning everything.”