“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist.”
— Angela Davis
We believe, and have always believed, that Black lives matter. Today we commit to active anti-racism.
Sing for Hope’s work relies on our common worth and right to the hope, healing, and connective powers of the arts. Yet while we proclaim that art is universal and music is our common language, we also have a responsibility to admit that the most basic rights to safety, life, and justice are not, for many of us, guaranteed.
We hear our students, our mentors, our team, asking, “am I next?” We recommit to doing everything we can to prevent that. We stand in solidarity with those protesting George Floyd’s senseless murder and centuries of racial violence.
Beyond our public support for Black lives and for justice, what are we doing?
1. We commit to training our staff and artists in active anti-racism.
We recognize that our annual anti-bias trainings are not enough. We start with Rachel Cargle‘s “Do the Work” 30-day course on how to be actively anti-racist. We invite you to do the same!
2. We commit to calling out acts of racism wherever we see them.
…both in our online circles and in person. We commit to incorporating more active anti-racism language into our “Citizen Artist” workshops in schools. Citizen artists are anti-racist, or they are not citizen artists.
3. We commit to sharing reputable, helpful information in support of Black lives.
First up, a resource that can help ensure fair representation for NYC friends who get arrested while protesting: Good Call NYC ensures that everyone arrested has no barriers to getting a lawyer and notifying their family. Please encourage your NYC neighbors and protesters to memorize this number:
1-833-3-GOODCALL
4. We ask the white and non-black POC members of our Sing for Hope family to commit to being active anti-racists yourselves.
“The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself.” — Ijeoma Oluo
5. As we and you sit in this discomfort, this pain, we invite you to turn to artists of color to be your balm and your fuel.
Resources for the Black members of our community
To our Black artists: we listen, support, and hold space for you. We offer the resources below and are here and ready to help you find additional support.
- Black Emotional & Mental Health Collective’s Virtual Therapist Network
- The Loveland Foundation via Rachel Cargle
- Via Self: 44 Mental Health Resources for Black People Trying to Survive
- Via Little Things: 60 Health & Wellness Resources for Black Parents
- Resources for Black Designers & Architects
- Ethel’s Club: Digital membership club for people of color to thrive
- Healing While Black: Account focused on Black Queer mental health
- The Nap Ministry: Resources for Black Sleep Health & Radical Rest
- Email us to request additional info, support, or resources
Resources for the non-Black members of our community
To our non-Black artists: what actions have you been taking to ensure that you are actively anti-racist? We offer the resources below to help you do the work to be a truly responsible Citizen Artist, to un-learn white supremacy, and to take action in support of our Black Artists, mentors, colleagues, and students.
- Ibram Kendi’s Anti-Racism Reading List
- Buy your Books at these Black-Owned Bookstores
- 10 Steps to Non-Optical Allyship
- Rachel Cargle’s Anti-Racism Resources & Patreon Community
- Code Switch: Podcast for Consistent Racial Education
- To follow & learn from (non-exhaustive list!): Brittany Packnett, Rachel Cargle, The Conscious Kid, Movement for Black Lives, Ijeomo Oluo, Monique Melton, Blair Amadeus Imani, Layla F. Saad, Rashad Robinson, Color of Change, Temi Coker, Greg Noire, Black Lives Matter, Black Visions Collective
- Anti-Racism Resources for White People
- Email us to request additional info or suggest resources
Resources for all of us
Art is our fuel, balm, language, and currency. Here are some arts-based resources to get us all through right now:
- Rachel Cargle’s Playlist for the Revolution
- Portraits by Queer Artists of Color to Nourish the Soul
- Black Art in America (thousands of hours of online content)
- Netflix’s Black Lives Matter Collection
- Via Essence: 50 Black Creators in Fashion
- Criterion Channel Offers Films Highlighting Black Lives
Are you using your art or your network for anti-racism? Tell us what you’re doing so we can join you & share!
Share your anti-racism work with us
We are hurting. As we do the hard work, and we MUST do the hard work, we are ever thankful to have the arts to express what we’re feeling and help get us all through.
With love and solidarity,
The Sing for Hope Team
