Statement of Solidarity from Tennessee Williams St. Louis

George Floyd has been callously and unjustly murdered, only the most recent in a heartbreakingly long list that extends back…through Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Jr., Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin…through Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, Carol Denise McNair, Emmett Till…through the Jim Crow lynchings…to the countless other Black people who died as a result of this evil system of oppression that formed the economic foundation of this country and guarantees the privilege of white Americans. We must eradicate it.

Theater suddenly seems trifling when society must be changed, injustice must be reversed, and racism— individual, institutional, systemic—must be stamped out. Why theater?

We offer the only answer we can. We all must do what we know how to do best, but do it with a renewed commitment to change. Art is not the solution, but it can be part of the solution. Art touches what is most human within us all, and thereby unites and elevates us. Through our art and with our voice we pledge to stand in solidarity with those who seek justice and change. We pledge to be a part of the solution. The board, the staff, and the key stakeholders and friends of Tennessee Williams St. Louis are actively engaged in discussions to identify the actions we can take to make this a reality. Our pledge is that diversity, racial equity, and inclusion will be reflected in every element of our organization. We must do the work because we believe that Black Lives Matter, and we ask that you hold us accountable as we do.

Tennessee Williams St. Louis
• Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Board of Directors
• Executive Artistic Director