The Nelson and District Arts Council condemns racism, violence, and injustice against Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC). As an organization we stand in solidarity with all Black People, Indigenous Peoples, and People of Colour around the world who experience systemic violence and oppression in their daily lives.
We recognize that as an arts organization we have benefited from the cultures of these communities while contributing to their marginalization and appropriation. In recent years, we have focused on changing this through our programming, but there is far more we need to do. We are acknowledging where we have and are currently failing to support BIPOC communities, a step that will allow us to move forward to better reflect the community that we serve. We realize that this is only the beginning and understand that anti-racism work is always adapting, growing, and is part of a constant commitment.
We will ensure that our anti-racism commitment is reflected in the life and culture of our organization through our policies, programs, and practices as we continue to listen and learn.
We will develop and implement strategies that dismantle racism within all aspects of our organization.
We must do better.