unleash the wild within

Black Lives Matter

Graphic by Talula Cedar-James

Graphic by Talula Cedar-James

“We must become grounded + stand firm in our sovereign power, our inner wisdom, our connections to each other + our continuous acts of resistance.”
— Layla F. Saad

We, the community of SheWolf Sacred, condemn police brutality + express our solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in Chicago, United States, + around the world.

We share the collective grief + are enraged by the recent police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Steven Taylor, + too many more. We will not be silent + complicit with the systematic racism + oppression terrorizing the Black community by the police or the president.

The United States of America was built on slavery, colonization, + genocide. It is not an accident that Black + Brown people are killed on the streets at the hands of the police + are dying at higher rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is systemic racism.

Even amidst a pandemic, black Americans suffer disproportionately. This is yet another symptom of a centuries-long problem that can no longer be ignored or repressed. It is no longer enough to acknowledge racism ~ we must be actively anti-racist. We must seek out racism + confront it, even, + especially, when it’s difficult + uncomfortable. 

We stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement + the protesters calling for change. As an organization comprised of artists, advocates, + allies we believe that sharing + deeply listening to each other's personal experiences opens the possibility of moving forward beyond any exchange of opinions alone. We remain committed to the practices of healing arts, rituals, integrative storytelling to process the deep grief + rage that lives within the body + psyche.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better”
— Dr. Maya Angelou

We agree + are re-committing ourselves to do better.

Many members of leadership, artists, + community members have been out on the streets marching in protest. More than anything, we are grateful + humbled by the black activists that have, for years, put themselves in harm’s way to show us that change is needed, + that action must be taken. 

We commit to stand in solidarity + take action with the Black community as they rightfully demand justice for centuries of violent oppression.

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Accountability Statement

As part of a national + global reckoning with the centuries of oppression people of color have faced + continue to face at the hands of colonizers, + particularly in response to the demands of the We See You White American Theater movement, SheWolf is committed to the following:

  1. Sharing the following land acknowledgement at all gatherings, rehearsals, + performances. Additionally, we are committed to including this acknowledgement in all printed materials + digital spaces we occupy.

SheWolf , based in Chicago, sits on the stolen land of the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Odawa, Miami, Ho-Chunk, + Sauk Tribes. As settlers of this unceded territory, we as an organization want to name + respect its original inhabitants. We cannot continue our work to dismantle marginalization as a weapon of systemic oppression without acknowledging the colonialism we have inherited.

We will provide audience members + event participants with tools to understand whose land they occupy + will encourage active participation in land acknowledgement practices.

2. Creating + maintaining safe, brave, + anti-racist spaces, including:

  • Mandatory de-colonization + anti-racism training and ongoing for all our leadership

  • De-colonization + anti-racism training for all space holders + facilitators, + at the beginning of each creative process cycle, including the creation of group agreements as a basis of accountability

  • Dedicated safety point of contact for BIPOC to report harm at all gatherings/productions

  • Additional trauma-informed counselors available on-site during any events or performances that center racialized +/or other traumatic topics

  • Standard intervention + disruption protocols to use in harmful or potentially harmful moments

  • Encourage self- + peer-advocacy without threat of retaliation. Collaboration over competition

  • Dedicated budget line for ongoing anti-racism work

  • Prioritization of hiring + contracting individuals with experience in + understanding of de-colonization + anti-racism practices

  • Anonymous reporting tool that is available 24/7 + checked/reflected upon at regular intervals by leadership

  • Regular conversations + listening circles to check in with our community regarding anti-racism in practice + ways we can continue to improve

3. Including BIPOC creators at all levels of the organization (leadership, space holders, facilitators, technicians). We will shift away from a predominately white leadership structure + towards a model of impacted leadership. When pay is a part of our work, BIPOC creators will be paid equally to white creators.

4. We will separate ourselves from the idea of “the show must go on” + create an environment where all participants are allowed + encouraged to seek refuge as needed.

5. We will not practice 10-out-of-12 rehearsal days or 6-day rehearsal weeks. The time we spend with our families + at rest is fundamental to our ability to create + express. We will provide adequate time to develop + produce work.

6. We will provide accessible orientations to leadership, space, + other resources whenever new collaborators join the team.

7. We will not relegate BIPOC creativity to a “second stage” + will not participate in a “main stage vs. second stage” construct. We will develop a power-sharing model for the creation of our production + education cycles that includes voices of all community members. 

8. We will provide affinity spaces to protect BIPOC bodies whenever we occupy physical space together.

9. We value transparency in our selection of leadership, creators, collaborators, + community members. We will not work with individuals or institutions that are reported to leadership or other community members as harmful. The hiring/contracting process will not rely on “years of experience” or educational milestones as decision-making tools. All candidate pools will reflect the diverse makeup of our actual community. We do not participate in the traditional audition + casting model, but rather value open calls + organic connections between creators + artists.

10. Black + Brown bodies will not be used in our marketing in a tokenized way. Our marketing will be reflective of its actual community members, + BIPOC people’s images will only be used with their expressed consent. Consent will be obtained each time an image is used.

11. We will work to prioritize BIPOC audiences + are committed to implementing accessible ticketing practices specifically for these communities.

12. There is no “one right way”. We are open to adaptation, evolution, + new ways of doing. We are committed to continually seeking out leaders, teachers, + resources who are different from ourselves/our own to deepen our perspectives, knowledge, + relationships. We believe that our differences are valuable, + we have no desire to be a homogenous group. Additionally, we are open to disagreements + recognize these as moments to learn. We will teach + foster an environment of non-violent communication to move through disagreements without causing additional harm.

SheWolf acknowledges that we will make mistakes in the process of de-colonizing ourselves, our systems, + our institutions. We welcome feedback + call-ins to do better. Please submit your thoughts or concerns via our anonymous online reporting tool, or feel free to contact us directly here.  

 

Resources

It will take all of us to build a new system that is not rooted in white supremacy.

We must unite in this work.

We share these resources with you to guide your solidarity + allyship:

The Movement for Black Lives: We encourage you to join the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) for a week of action until June 7th, 2020 in defense of Black lives. This is an opportunity to uplift + fight alongside those turning up in the streets + online. Today’s call is to work to defund the police. For more information visit: https://m4bl.org/week-of-action/

Black Lives Matter: Black Lives Matter demands acknowledgment + accountability for the devaluation + dehumanization of Black life at the hands of the police. Add your name to the petition to nationally defund the police and to shift investments to sustainable + life-affirming resources for Black lives: https://blacklivesmatter.com/defundthepolice/

Black Visions Collective: Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the collective is working to defund the local police department + remove police officers, known as School Resource Officers, from schools across the city. To learn more: https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/

The Anti-Police Terror Project: In light of the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on Black communities in California + across the United States, The Anti-Police Terror Project + Community Ready Corps has issued a set of demands to the Californian cities of Sacramento + Oakland called The Black New Deal, amplify + share their message: http://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/black-new-deal

Anti-Racism Resources for White People: This document is intended to serve as a resource to white people + parents to deepen our anti-racism work. If you haven’t engaged in anti-racism work in the past, start now. Feel free to circulate this document on social media + with your friends, family, + colleagues. http://bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES

Robin DiAngelo Resource Guide

The New York Times: An Antiracist Reading List

National Museum of African American History + Culture

The Danger of A Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

13th Directed by Ava DuVernay

When They See Us by Ava DuVernay

26 Ways to Be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets

11 Things To Do Besides Say ‘This Has To Stop’ In The Wake Of Police Brutality

Seeing White Podcast

Irresistible Podcast

Code Switch Podcast

1619 Podcast

Donate

If you have the capacity, we encourage you to make donations to any organizations that are actively moving the needle towards racial justice.

Below are a few suggestions from our community:

Equal Justice Initiative

Higher Heights for America

Kids Off the Block

BYP100

Chicago Community Bond Fund

NAACP

Color of Change

Black Visions Collective

Brave Space Alliance