A statement from the CSUN Theatre Department on the unjust murder of George Floyd, racism and their pledge to feature more Theatre creators and artists of color
The CSUN Theatre Department joins the university campus and wider communities of the world in grief and outrage at the violence and needless murder of George Floyd. We carry the pain of witnessing this violence repeated too often and the loss of so many others: Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, Ezell Ford, Michael Brown, Philando Castile, Atatiana Jefferson, Delrawn Small, Dominique Clayton, Jamar Clark, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray, – who also cried out for breath………and many more wrongfully snuffed out.
These people were unjustly killed by police and by the mechanisms of undeniable racism at all levels of our society. From the overt aggressions of white supremacy to the seemingly invisible oppressions of institutional racism – including those within the arts - we must confront the inaction of those with power and privilege, to end racist practices at home, work and in our communities and schools, and to advocate for those that need protection and support.
We in the Theatre Department recognize that substantive change does not come from issuing statements alone but from continually engaged reflection and action, and so we pledge first of all to LISTEN and then to ACT to ensure an environment that will not tolerate bigotry, oppression or unequal treatment. We are committed to a process through which we examine how our program is constructed and maintained in ways that support or hinder access. We will ensure that our productions, curriculum, guest speakers and faculty feature Black creators and artists of color from all areas of Theatre.
As artists and teachers we steadfastly seek to support and empower the creative expression of our Black students and colleagues as well as our students and colleagues of other ethnic and racial backgrounds. We continue to offer performance and production opportunities that provide an experience that will promote individual empowerment and expressions of self-worth and value. We are committed to opposing hate and injustice, to supporting our students of color and to creating art with all of our students that fosters transformation and, through our creative process proclaims,
BLACK LIVES MATTER
We invite the university to support us and our campus peers to join us as witnesses or participants in our work to inspire transformation.
