After George Floyd’s murder and the subsequent racial awakening of the country, the Idaho arts community came together to address their role in perpetuating racism.
Soon, the scope was broadened to include culture and history organizations as well. Throughout the summer of 2020, organization representatives and individual creatives came together to educate themselves, hold an honest mirror up to their historical and current practices and create a plan to correct the systemic issues. This Antiracism Coalition is the result of those efforts. There is a philosophical statement and action steps which organizations and individuals can sign on to, thus becoming signatories and official members of the coalition. The coalition chose to focus specifically on Black people, not to exclude other minoritized People of Color, but because history shows that when diversity efforts are broad and general, Black people most often continue to be left behind. Therefore, by naming the most marginalized, all will benefit. The goal is to work together and create a community founded in equity and inclusion where ALL members thrive.
Our Coalition is committed to dismantling systemic racism in our arts community.
This includes the oppressive impacts of segregation, mass incarceration, and educational, economic and environmental discrimination; all of which are born from slavery. The arts and culture community has perpetuated white supremacy through appropriation and tokenization, such as recruiting Black people for shows, exhibits and performances without integrating them into positions of sustained leadership. Although there has never been a time in America when Black art wasn’t a driving cultural force, we have used a white lens to define quality and influence. This must end.
Coalition organizations commit to the following
Action Steps
- Include members of the Black community in the creation of programming and content.
- Support the Black community with access to space and resources for independent projects or programs.
- Prioritize intentional recruitment and hiring practices of Black staff, leadership and board members, by expanding recruitment outside existing networks.
- Create antiracist policies within governing and management documents, at board and staff levels.
- Articulate the necessity of cultivating a deeper understanding of the communities that we serve, and incorporate their perspectives, needs, feedback, and priorities into our strategic decisions.
- Provide time and resources on an annual basis for board and staff to attend ongoing professional, Black-led antiracism training.
- Commit to the ongoing practice of antiracism as individuals and organizations by fostering a culture of accountability and receptivity to learning.
By making our commitment to antiracism visible through our programs and organizational practices, our Coalition aims to inspire audience members and donors to grow with us in creating a community where Black Lives Matter.
CURRENT SIGNATORIES
Organizations
Individual artists and historians
Afrosonics
Boise All-Ages Movement Project
Boise Farmers Market
Boise Philharmonic
Daisy’s Madhouse Theatre
Gem State Developmental Center
HomeGrown Theatre
Idaho Botanical Garden
Idaho Dance Theatre
Illicit Nature
KIN
LED
Metamorphosis Performing Arts Studio, LLC MING Studios
Neurolux / Pengilly Saloon
Odd Hours Theater Company
Open Arms Dance Project
Opera Idaho
Pivot Movement
Preservation Idaho
Project Flux
Radio Boise (KRBX 89.9/93.5FM)
Sandy Lane Media
Story Story Night
Stronger Shines the Light Inside
Sun Blood Stories
Surel’s Place
Treefort Music Fest
The Vervain Collective
Visual Arts Collective
Wassmuth Center for Human Rights
Wild Spells
Woodland Empire
Wendy Blickenstaff Art – visual artist
Megan Brandel – dancer, choreographer & teaching artist
Leah Clark – choreographer
Helen Grainger Wilson – visual artist & arts educator
Leta Harris Neustaedter – musician, actor, arts educator & social worker Laura Kendall – arts executive
Heidi Kraay – playwright, writer, theater maker & teaching artist Catherine Kyle – poet
Sue Latta – visual artist & educator
Gus Marsden/Blanket Ghost – musician
Hallie Maxwell – visual artist
Sadi Mosko – dancer & choreographer Thomas Newby – musician
Daniel Ojeda – dancer, musician & choreographer
Dylan Eller, Cody Goin, Daniel Ojeda, Grant Olsen, and Jan Reed of the band Mr. Grant Olsen – musician
Brett Perry – dancer & farmer
Jodeen Revere – writer, actor & performer
Ellie Rodgers – writer
John Michael Schert – dancer, producer, educator & social entrepreneur Samantha Silva – writer
Angela Smith – photographer
Martha Spiva – dancer
Christian Winn – writer
For smaller organizations, for-profit cultural organizations, or individual artists and historians who cannot complete action steps that require a board or staff, you can satisfy Coalition requirements by:
Amplifying the antiracist efforts of other co-signatories and Black-led initiatives.
Amplifying the antiracist efforts of other co-signatories and Black-led initiatives.
Join our efforts to strive toward antiracism
Photos (from the top): An image from Nappy.com; a panel discussion at Treefort Music Fest, courtesy of Treefort; cultural organizations include farm and food programs that support BIPOC ownes, photo from Nappy.com; one of our goals — true diversity in the board room, photo from Nappy.com; Hallie Maxwell in Surel’s Place in 2020, courtesy of the artist; another goal — to champion the voices of BIPOC artists, photo from Nappy.com; a proud Treefort volunteer, courtesy of Treefort; Salome Waraguru Mwangi speaks at JUMP, courtesy of Story Story Night.
The Coalition is supported by a grant from the City of Boise’s Department of Arts and History.
