Solidarity and Equity Commitment

Originally presented in the Summer of 2021 as part of our digital variety show with the Pratt.

We have rarely seen the importance of art and art making stated so succinctly and eloquently than by R. Eric Thomas, in his collection of essays, “Here for It: Or, How to Save your Soul in America”

“Every story, whether truth or fiction, is an invitation to imagination, but even more so, it's an invitation to empathy. The storyteller says, “I am here. Does it matter?”

You’re here right now, or you follow Mind on Fire because, in response to Eric’s question, you answer yes.

Yet we exist in a system designed to minimize Black voices and power, to deemphasize the work of BIPOC in the commerce of artistry and ideas. It is the same system responsible for the murder of thousands of lives at the hands of a militarized police force more concerned with the protection of white property over Black life. It is a system that, at every single American moment, has operated to suppress the political and economic power of people of color. As the preceding years, months, weeks, and days have taught us, systemic racism continues to scar and destroy members of our communities.

We, Mind on Fire, a white-led arts organization, must acknowledge our place in perpetuating this oppressive and violent system. And we must actively fight against it.

Black stories matter. Black art matters. 

Black Lives Matter.

If we have learned anything, it is that we must do more. We must confront white supremacy in our own organization, and we must actively pursue an anti-racist agenda to achieve racial equity. That is the only path forward for this organization. Anything less is unacceptable.

But words are not enough. We want to be held to account. In addition to this statement we have prepared a sequence of actions in the pursuit of racial equity.

Classical music, including new and experimental, has long excluded the voices of BIPOC artists and thinkers. For this reason, our primary action is as follows: to better reflect and serve our Baltimore community our board will undergo significant, racial demographic shift by our first board meeting of 2022. At the time of writing this statement, Baltimore is ~70% while our board is 33% BIPOC. We will and must actively do better.

From and concurrent to this action…

We will strengthen our focus on Baltimore musicians, artists, and performers by actively include more local creators and curators of color: composers, producers, soloists, and collaborators. While we have enjoyed presenting many artists of this city, we want to explore and encourage new voices in classical music making and experimental show curation. 

In addition, we will expand our primary roster of classical musicians to include a diversity of voices, specifically favoring BIPOC notated music readers. Again, an active stance must be taken in order to reform the current, long-institutionalized status quo of musical conservatism.

In support of the aforementioned goals, we have employed the assistance of racial justice facilitators, Amy Smith and Faith Jones-Jackson, who have connections to both the ‘Accomplices Leadership Institute’ (a partner of the ‘Arts Administrators of Color Network’) and ‘artEquity.’ Currently 10% of our budget is devoted to anti-racist and anti-oppressive training and consultation. We will continue facilitation on a monthly or seasonal basis depending on need - but we will continue the consistent, regular education of our staff and board for some time.

To hold ourselves and Mind on Fire to task, we have established an oversight committee, the main purpose of which is and will be to pursue and support racial equity within the organization. Currently this committee is made up of board and staff, including Nicholas Cohen, Allison Clendaniel, Nicolas Melo, Tyrone Page, Jr., Dannielle Sturgeon, and James Young. While the nature and personnel of this committee will evolve over time and circumstance, it will take a lead in policy related to creating a safe, enriching environment for all new board members, staff, and collaborative artists.

After the first board meeting of 2022, we will check in publicly again to review what we have done and where we are going.

This work is happening now and will be ongoing. The time for, quote, “organic” inclusion has long passed. The forces of systemic racism inherent in our realm of curation must be met with direct action and perpetual vigilance.

We may not experience global, national, or even municipal justice in our life-time, but we can work to embody transformation, justice, and equity within ourselves. The work is endless, and we will stumble. But the purpose is no less important than life and death. 

Indigenous Lives Matter. People’s of color lives matter. Black Lives Matter.