A Statement from the Faculty
As Artists and Educators in Theatre, Dance, and Performance we unequivocally condemn the historically rooted and pervasive racist murders of African Americans and other people of color by police in the United States and globally. We acknowledge these most recent examples are not unique. We acknowledge this plague is systemic and extends beyond the police. We cannot function as a society, nor as a learning institution, in a context where people of color cannot walk, jog, drive, talk, or even sleep in their homes safely without fear of being murdered by the state. We certainly cannot teach our craft, which is by its very nature a living and breathing engagement with all people, without denouncing this violence, and the hateful rhetoric that fuels it.
We want to state unequivocally our condemnation of the murder of George Floyd, and of the countless thousands of victims of racist state terrorism before him. We believe in life, breath and the possibilities of human creativity. We decry racism and abusive, authoritarian violence. We recognize that there are different levels of privilege in our community: all of us are impacted, but many of us are more profoundly, personally impacted by recent events. We want to be responsible to our communities and our students. We respect those who are called to action, and hope that all will take some part in this movement for social justice, in whatever way is best suited to their abilities, resources, and position in society. White silence is violence.
Many people are traumatized. Many people do not feel safe. Please breathe, be kind to others, and do what you can in this critical moment of social movement against oppression. We will examine our own curriculum and theatrical programming to do our best to address inequities in representation and opportunities. We will speak out against any racism and abuse of power by our own campus police, and the racist system of policing in general. We will encourage and support Theatre and Dance students as they use their creativity and skills to create protest images, public performances, and events against this oppression.
BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Some resources:
Anti Police Terror Project Sacramento
