Black Lives Matter
Vashon Center for the Arts stands in solidarity with the Black community in the fight for racial justice. Violence against People of Color and institutional racism demands action from us all. Listening and acknowledging is not enough. It is our responsibility to prioritize our own efforts to become anti-racist and be a conduit for change.
We believe that art thrives when Black Lives Matter; that in diversity comes strength, innovation, transformation; that protest, like transformative art, is an awakening in each of us; that unlearning ages-old biases is a process that begins, often in a moment . . . but that requires of us, time, energy, effort, willingness, spirits open to the sufferings of our fellow Black artists, colleagues, patrons, supporters, and friends, and a commitment to change oppressive systems.
While we watch and listen and learn as individuals, as well as an organization, in this moment we know that Vashon Center for the Arts must do more. Art, at its very best, affects change in people—and our voice, when we use it, can broadcast that change. We must do better if we are to advocate for and live by a culture of inclusivity and racial equity.
