July 2020
Dear WAMily,
Since sharing our solidarity statement, we have been taking time to process and recognize how, in our first decade, we have excluded, exploited, and misrepresented BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists and community members.
We are reflecting, both individually and as a team, on where we are now in our Anti-Racism work and how we can be held accountable to those most impacted by manifestations of white supremacy going forward. We will share those accountability actions, and how those put us on the path towards reparations, in the coming months.
We are working in service of the list of demands from We See You White American Theatre and in alignment with the cultural competency work WAM started with BRIDGE in 2016, and Kristen started with Nicole Brewer in 2019.
We realize this is long-term work, and are resisting the urge towards immediate knee-jerk responses that we know from our cultural competency training is typical of white supremacist culture.
Like our Diversity Statement, this is a living document and evolving work. We are not coming from a stationary place; we continue to push this forward. We are on a journey.
Sincerely,
The WAM Team and Board