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Happy Juneteenth! This day commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, while also celebrating Black culture. It’s a reminder to learn from our history, while paving a brighter future. ETC believes that we all have a responsibility to listen, reflect, and act to ensure that our industry is accessible, inclusive, and safe for everyone.
Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth
Black professionals have made countless contributions to the theatre industry and beyond! Celebrate them and all aspects of Black culture by attending a Juneteenth event, learning more about anti-racism, or supporting Black organizations and businesses (whether in or out of the theatre).
Don’t know where to get started? Here are some ideas.
- Go to the Events section of Facebook and search “Juneteenth” to find festivals and performances near you.
- Explore Diversity.Broadway resources, including a podcast highlighting the stories of Black administrators, producers, directors, managers, creatives, and legends of Broadway. Today they are hosting the Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth concert in Times Square!
- Browse resources from Design Action, a coalition of designers working to end racial inequities in the North American theatre.
- Review the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access and Social Justice resources from USITT or donate to the Tayneshia Jefferson Fund for Inclusion, supporting USITT’s efforts to grow opportunities for underrepresented populations in design and technology.
- Donate to other organizations doing racial justice work, like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or Black Lives Matter.
While Juneteenth is a meaningful day of celebration, the pursuit of equity, diversity, and inclusion should be a year-round effort. Have any resources or organizations you’d like to share? Drop them in the comments!
