An Open Letter to the Dance and Performance Community:
We mourn the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, and every Black life lost to police violence and violence caused by systems that uphold racism and White supremacy, including Black transgender women Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells and Riah Milton. We also acknowledge the devastating impact that Covid-19 has had on our global dance and performance community. As an organization that honors, gathers, lifts up, and advocates for dance and performance in the New York Metropolitan area, The Bessies loudly declares that BLACK LIVES MATTER, and joins with leaders in dance to mobilize for real equity and justice in our field.
We pledge to do the work of dismantling racism and White supremacy in every aspect of our work. These actions are preliminary, and part of an ongoing commitment to equity and justice within our organization and the field. Below are some actions The Bessies is taking now:
Anti-racism training for staff, Steering Committee and Selection Committee
The Bessies will require that all staff members, Steering Committee members and Selection Committee members participate in an annual anti-racism training workshop that The Bessies will provide during each year of their service. We are open to learning from difficult conversations with the understanding that silence can be worse.
Reflecting the demographics of NYC as an organization by 2021
The Bessies commit that each year beginning January 1, 2021, our staff, Steering Committee, Selection Committee, and interns will reflect the racial demographics of NYC.
Our budget reflects our values
In order to ensure the socioeconomic diversity of the Selection Committee, The Bessies will provide all members of this committee with an honorarium to compensate them for their time and service to the organization and to the NYC dance community.
Our annual Bessies Roundtable Discussions were postponed this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These have been rescheduled for Tuesday, August 11th 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM ET and Saturday, August 14th 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM ET on a virtual platform. During these discussions, we seek input from the NYC dance community on how The Bessies can better serve the field. All are welcome to join. To rsvp, email Heather@bessies.org.
Every one of us has a role in dismantling the system of White supremacy and ending racism in all its forms. The Bessies stands with Black people, Indigenous peoples, and all people of color now and always. Racism has no place in our organization, in our field, nor in the world. We must work together towards justice in the field of dance and beyond.