We at WSRep and Raue Center for the Arts stand with those who seek justice for those who cannot.  For way too long our black communities have been abused.  The names are familiar to us George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Nina Pop, Freddie Gray, and too many others in the Black community.

Along with our Black artists, staff, friends, and community members, we demand that all Black people not only have the most essential rights to live and to breathe, but also full justice and equality.

We as a theater or Performing Arts Center can do more.  There is so much work to do to dismantle the institutional racism and systematic hatred that has plagued this country for the last 400 years.  We must remind ourselves of this work daily.  We can be better. We can make our community better.  We must push ourselves to acknowledge and to provide support.  We pledge to create and maintain a home for artists and a community that is anti-racist.

We acknowledge white supremacy exists in most neighborhoods in America and in our industry.

The ongoing struggle for liberation, racial justice, and equity is real.

Black lives matter.
We pledge that more black voices, black stories, and black artists will be heard on our stage.

We know we can do better—We want to do better. While our region’s demographic might not be as diverse as others, it makes this initiative more important.

We pledge to present more PoC on our stages and by ensuring that the Center is always a home for critical conversations about race and discrimination. We are preparing strategies to be in greater service of Black artists, audiences, and communities.

We know we can collectively be better.