Dear Region 8,

As our nation reels from the violent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery and countless other black and brown Americans, police brutality on peaceful protestors and members of the press, please know that KCACTF stands firmly in solidarity with our black and brown students, colleagues, neighbors, friends and family.  Through the RED Initiative (Representation, Equity and Diversity), we seek to do our part to foster and cultivate representation and equity in all facets of the festival to provide a platform for people of color to be heard.

It is time for meaningful change and KCACTF will do it’s part to move the needle.  Please read the statement from our national leadership:

RESOURCES

Books to Read:

Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

White Fragility by Robin DiAngello

The New Jim Crow; Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi

Mental Health Resources:

Crisis Text Line

They provide access to crisis counselors for the promotion of mental wellness and crisis care.

The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation

Their mission is to eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health care, specifically focusing on supporting members of the black community. 

Self-Care Tips for Black People Who Are Struggling With This Very Painful Week

This article outlines some useful tools to establish boundaries and sustainable mental health practices.

If you wish to affect change locally, do the following: vote, donate, and educate yourself on the corrosive institutional practices of racism within society, theatre and education.  

In Region 8, we want to change too.  We currently have openings on our Leadership Board in the areas of Regional Vice Chair, Arts Leadership ASPIRE and RED Vice Chair.  If you would like to nominate a faculty member who can improve representation on our board and provide us with different cultural perspectives, please email me at kcactf8@gmail.com .

Together, we are In Lak’Ech.

Eric Bishop
Chair, Region 8