By Arianna Ross | Executive Director
We, at Story Tapestries, acknowledge that we are late in showing our solidarity through a statement, and for that, we truly apologize. We witness structural racism in every aspect of the community and we are appalled by the continued disregard and disrespect for black lives entrenched in the institutions of the judicial system, law enforcement, education, healthcare, and housing. We are grateful to GlobalGiving's CEO, Alix Guerrier, for mentioning Story Tapestries in his public letter on June 1, 2020: https://www.globalgiving.org/learn/dismantling-racism-requires-participation-from-all/
In the wake of the international uprisings in response to George Floyd’s murder, Story Tapestries will continue to amplify the voices and messages of the black community in an effort to disrupt the forces of racial bias and violent abuse. #BlackLivesMatter is more than a movement. The principles of the BLM movement reflect the core values of Story Tapestries.
Karina, one of the youth we have had the honor of supporting, wrote a poem after the senseless death of George Floyd. Her words reflect the voice of so many and the heart of Story Tapestries.
…..A black man jogging is a criminal
But killing him and recording it is A-ok
I don’t get it.
You can say whatever you want because you think
You’re the law.
But as soon as a black person breathes
They’re a criminal.
So when you kill, you’re “mentally ill”
But if we walk the streets like humans
We are a societal threat?.......
By Karina
Click to read more and access additional resources such as books you can read about racial equity and social justice.
We wish to extend an invitation to join us in action at our next online Amplify US! performance and Town Hall on Saturday, June 27, 2020 from 6:00-7:30 PM. Story Tapestries presents performances by professional and community artists addressing the racial crisis sparked by recent deaths of Breanna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery at the hands of police brutality, amid a global pandemic. The event will be hosted by award-winning poet and theater artist, Regie Cabico, with moderator, activist and racial equity facilitator, Carolyn Lowery.
To join us, click to register for free, or with a donation to support the artists who are part of the Story Tapestries team.
We truly thank you for your continued support. Story Tapestries is grateful to our team of teaching artists who dynamically design and create programs that respond to the specific needs of a community. Program solutions purposefully include the valuable contributions of other nonprofits in the same community, creating synergy to build on the work they’re doing to create more robust, sustainable solutions that will continue to serve a community long after our direct work concludes. Our operating model allows us to quickly and easily adapt our programs and services to a wide range of needs, which has helped us respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with new programs and services, including the launch of on an online platform within just three weeks of schools closing. Since April 6, we have been serving 1,000+ people per week with free programs including 20+ arts integrated classes, family performances on Facebook live streaming, family game nights, an intergenerational talent show featuring amateur artists from all over the United States, and countless other online events, including upcoming Summer Camps. That would not have been possible without the generous contributions of our donors - YOU!
Thanks to donors like you, we are able to provide full and partial scholarships to our Summer Camps so that children can have access to fun, engaging programs that spark their creative and support continued learning over the summer months. After two months and more of schools being closed, summer engagement is more important than ever.
We hope that you and your loved ones are staying healthy and safe and we look forward to continuing to connect with you about our work, enhancing accessibility and equity in educational and community spaces and amplifying voices.
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