Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
In 2019, Stagebridge created the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion committee to understand and dismantle systematic racism and inequity in and around our community. Moving into 2021, the committee is continuing its work to educate Stagebridge staff, instructors, and students on how to break down barriers of communication, social support, and enrollment.
As the committee meets to strategize best practices for Stagebridge, they collaborate with staff and the Board of Directors to implement plans for the future.
Current members
Barbara Johnson, Shannon McDonnell, Tomye Neal-Madison, Lily Nguyen, Maxine Williams, Julius Rea & Mel Terry
Mission Statement
To foster a vibrant community where all lifelong learners are celebrated and enriched through the performing arts.
Revision approved by the Stagebridge Board of Directors, September 2020
A LETTER ON ASIAN AMERICAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER SOLIDARITY
APRIL 2021
On March 17, a 21-year-old white man’s violent and racist rampage in Atlanta resulted in the murders of six Asian American women, one white woman, and one white man.
And, while this event seems to have triggered an awareness around the recent wave of racist attacks against AAPI communities, it represents a problem that has consistently resurfaced in America for over a century.
White supremacy has the ability to turn a blind eye to attacks on communities of color, whether it be physical, financial, or systemic. These attacks usually become dismissed, hidden, or forgotten due to a lack of clear cross-cultural communication, understanding, and connection.
However, such is the unique power of Stagebridge.
Inside of our classes, programs, meetings, and events, the connective ability of performance arts and storytelling gives this community unbelievable tools to improve and teach the world. With that, Stagebridge will be making several organizational shifts to support and foster AAPI individuals, inside and outside of this community.
Firstly, we are developing our new Finding Ourselves in America storytelling series, which will highlight Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) voices through storytelling partnerships with artists from Oakland and beyond.
With FINDING OURSELVES IN AMERICA: ASIAN AMERICAN VOICES on Thursday, May 20, Stagebridge will partner with Asian American Storytellers in Unity to present 16 nationally-acclaimed storytellers from across the nation. Focused on the healing power of storytelling and narrative, these ethnically and geographically diverse artists will promote cross-cultural understanding responding to an unprecedented wave of anti-Asian sentiment in the modern age.
Secondly, we will continue to promote and invite new BIPOC instructors into the Performing Arts Institute—with a focus on finding AAPI voices to help broaden the spectrum of students’ worldview.
Lastly, the Stagebridge Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee will meet regularly to address issues inside our community regarding racism, equity, and accessibility. Additionally, this group will assist in developing a new equity-focused action plan for Stagebridge as a whole.
So, we are not just making a call to action for those outside of our immediate circles. We are making a call to action for our family, friends, and community members.
We ask you to join us to end indifference, hatred, and intolerance.
In honor of Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Hyun Jung Grant, Soon Chung Park, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, and all the victims of white supremacist violence, we denounce all attacks and hatred centered against our AAPI communities and we commit to addressing racism by creating programs that uplift and honor BIPOC voices.
~Stagebridge Staff (Lily Nguyen, Julius Rea, Clara Kamunde and Shannon McDonnell) & Board Member Eleanor Clement Glass
For resources on how to learn about and support AAPI communities around the Bay Area, please look over the following links and resources.
LINKS
Supporting AAPI Communities Resource List (Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy): aapip.org/what-we-do/supporting-api-communities-resource-directory/view-all-resources
#StopAAPIHate: stopaapihate.org
#StopAAPIHate (Info Sheet): dropbox.com/s/l55gswobr7f11ef/Stop%20AAPI%20Hate%202021.pdf?dl=0
Asian Americans Advocating Justice (Hate Crime Tracker): standagainsthatred.org
How to Report a Hate Crime: hatecrimebook.com
Learn about Asian American history: pbs.org/show/asian-americans
Learn about Model Minority Myth: learningforjustice.org/magazine/what-is-the-model-minority-myth
hollaback! (Harassment & Bystander Training): ihollaback.org
Asian Mental Health Collective: asianmhc.org
Chinatown Community Development Center: chinatowncdc.org/support-us/ways-to-give
Asian Art Museum: asianart.org/
RESOURCES & ORGANIZATIONS
Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus
The mission of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus is to promote, advance, and represent the legal and civil rights of API communities. Recognizing that social, economic, political and racial inequalities continue to exist in the United States, Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus is committed to the pursuit of equality and justice for all sectors of our society with a specific focus directed toward addressing the needs of low-income, immigrant, and underserved APIs.
For more information: 415 896-1701 or visit advancingjustice-alc.org/contact-us/
Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)
APEN focuses on Asian immigrant and refugee communities. APEN strives to bring fundamental changes to economic and social institutions that will prioritize good over profit, and promote the right of every person to a decent, safe, affordable quality of life, and the right to participate in decisions affecting their lives. Network Mission Statement is as follows: All people have a right to a clean and healthy environment in which their communities can live, work, learn, play and thrive. Towards this vision, APEN brings together a collective voice to develop an alternative agenda for environmental, social and economic justice.
For more information: 510 834-8920 or visit apen4ej.org
Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach
The recent surge in incidents of anti-Asian hate violence are part of the large systemic issues that API Legal Outreach has been trying to fight since its inception. Founded in 1975, the mission of API Legal Outreach is to provide culturally competent and linguistically appropriate legal representation, social services, and advocacy for the most marginalized segments of the community including low-income women, seniors, recent immigrants, and youth.
For more information: 415 567-6255 or visit apilegaloutreach.org
Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council
The Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON) is a coalition of community-based organizations that advocates for the rights and needs of the Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) Community in the greater Los Angeles area, with a particular focus on low income, immigrant, refugee and other disadvantaged sectors of the population.
For more information: 213 239-000 or visit asianpacificpolicyandplanningcouncil.org
Compassion In Oakland (CIN) provides the Oakland Chinatown Community with a resource for promoting safety and community. CIN’s aim is to embrace the often forgotten, underserved, and vulnerable. CIN promotes compassion not indifference, unity as opposed to divisiveness. Their goal is to foster more caring and safer Oakland for all.
For more information: 510 200-8682 or e-mail info@compassioninoakland.org
Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC)
OACC is a member of the Oakland Chinatown Coalition, which “works for a strong, vibrant and healthy future for our neighborhood” by engaging in several different issues important to the community through monthly meetings and special projects. The Coalition was founded in 2011, consists of seventeen organizations and five individual members. OACC’s participation in the Chinatown Coalition demonstrates our commitment to cross-sector collaboration and the mutual goal of enhancing the vitality and stability of Chinatown.
For more information: 510 637-0455 or visit oacc.cc
Oakland Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC) Feed + Fuel Program
The Feed + Fuel Chinatown mission is to address the resurging needs of Chinatown businesses and residents living in Single Room Occupancy hotels (SROs). In partnership with SF New Deal, CCDC seeks to provide 300,000 meals to Chinatown SRO residents over a 15-week period, using up to 70 Chinatown based restaurants. Cost projection for this project is $3.5M.
For more information: 415 984-1462 or e-mail donate@chinatowncdc.org.
Chinese Progressive Association
Founded in 1972, the Chinese Progressive Association educates, organizes and empowers the low income and working class immigrant Chinese community in San Francisco to build collective power with other oppressed communities to demand better living and working conditions and justice for all people.
For more information: 415 391-6986 or visit cpasf.org
East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC)
(EBALDC) is a non-profit community development organization with over 45 years of experience in building healthy, vibrant and safe neighborhoods in Oakland and East Bay. We address the specific needs of individual neighborhoods by connecting the essential elements of health and wellbeing through our Healthy Neighborhoods Approach. EBALDC builds upon the assets unique to each community to inform and establish thoughtful partnerships that will address the social factors impacting a neighborhood’s health and wellbeing.
For more information: 415 391-6986 or visit ebaldc.org
Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP)
AAPIP is a national membership organization dedicated to expanding and mobilizing philanthropic and community resources for underserved AAPI communities to build a more just and equitable society. AAPIP’s programs include a range of convening, research and advocacy, community philanthropy/Giving Circles and other incubation projects.
For more information: (510) 463-3155 or visit aapip.org
UPDATE — September 2020
While we have been preparing for our Fall 2020 Performing Arts Institute session, our Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (or EDI) Committee has been working to break down accessibility barriers at Stagebridge and beyond!
One of our committee's latest accomplishments was to revise Stagebridge's Mission Statement (above).
In addition to our revised Mission Statement, our Board of Directors, staff, and EDI Committee have been committing to the promises made in our Letter on Solidarity, released earlier this year. We have...
provided scholarships and Zoom coaching for the West Oakland Senior Center to invite new and diverse students to Stagebridge.
updated our scholarship policy while offering new scholarships and accessible payment plans to our students.
successfully hired more BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) instructors for the Fall session moving forward.
registered our first students from outside of the San Francisco Bay Area to broaden Stagebridge's community.
introduced a framework for in-class codes of conduct, lead and created by instructors and students.
Stay up-to-date with our Mailing List or connect with the Equity, Inclusion & Diversity Committee at info@stagebridge.org.
A LETTER ON SOLIDARITY
June 2020
Stagebridge is committing to advancing the economic stability, political voice, and personal safety of Black and Brown people in addition to all bodies suppressed, victimized or murdered by any extension of white supremacy.
Stagebridge is thankful that we have an energetic community ready for introspection and change—as our performance classes teach moment-to-moment.
For the past three years, we have made efforts to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) by hiring six instructors of color since Fall 2018. Additionally, we have been building connections with senior communities with less resources such as the West Oakland Senior Center.
In late 2019, we established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee to plan to break new ground in Stagebridge’s policies, enrollment and community engagement. The committee will continue its work moving into our Summer 2020 Performing Arts Institute session.
Still, we need to expand our efforts even further to strengthen Stagebridge’s community impact. We are committed to the following reforms and actions for our organization:
· We will modify our curriculum and class schedules to include more Black and Brown instructors to share their craft and to be supported financially. There will be an active push for the connection between restorative / healing arts to support well-being and health. This will begin with our Fall 2020 Performing Arts Institute Session.
· We will offer a selection of free classes for newcomers to meet our community where they are financially. This will begin with our Fall 2020 Performing Arts Institute Session.
· We will alter our scholarship policies to incorporate more resources for Black and Brown students to join and to continue participation in our programs, to go into effect by Fall 2020.
· We will update our code of conduct policy to reflect a need of honest and earnest racial discourse, to go into effect by Fall 2020.
· We will train our Board of Directors and instructors to properly identify and address the tenets of white supremacist systems, white privilege, and microaggressions to help inform our other active changes. With the formation of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee in 2019, we raised $6,000 to obtain training on these subjects from StirFry Consulting with diversity trainer Lee Mun Wah.
Finally, for the Summer 2020 session, we are offering a short 6-week session comprised of both well-loved classes and brand-new classes most malleable on an online platform. New classes focus on improving mental health, reducing stress, and connecting with theatre arts in joyful ways.
All of this leads to a higher standard of community engagement including adhering to a stronger list of community guidelines protecting vulnerable bodies.
We will not accept anyone, inside or outside of Stagebridge, to suffer from the weight of racist and inequitable policies and values that have led to universal inequity and death.
Still, we are aware that this work begins with us.
With that, our final commitment is an invitation for open dialogue. We invite our students, returning and prospective, to center BIPOC individuals in discussion to listen and learn like never before. With accountability and honest discourse, Stagebridge will help hold our community up when discussing race and privilege.
Join this discussion and change by reviewing some resources we have collected for those wishing to learn more about the structures we are combating. This also includes ways to redirect money and economic power to Black and Brown businesses in the Bay Area.
Stagebridge proudly stands with the actions of the Black Lives Matter movement, recently inspired by the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Nina Pop, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and all people whose lives were murdered due to white supremacist violence.
And, most importantly, we are ready for the discourse necessary to improve everyone single person’s way of life.
~Stagebridge Staff
Barbara Johnson, Community Outreach Coordinator
Clara Kamunde, Director of Storytelling & Storybridge Programs
Shannon McDonnell, Executive Director
Lily Nguyen, Director of Performing Arts Institute and Seniors Reaching Out
Julius Rea, Marketing and Communications Manager
For more information on resources on how to support Black & Brown businesses or how to learn about systematic racism, please sign up for our digital newsletter or look at the links below.
• If you identify as White, take any one of these 75 actions for racial justice
• Take actions to support George Floyd
• Attend healing and grieving sessions
• Review former President Obamaʼs list of actions, readings, and organizations to support
• Read Black revolutionary texts
• Take one of the BLM supported actions
• Learn about a national social change organization located in Oakland
• Support a Black-owned bookstore and Black-owned businesses
• Support local organizations committed to uplifting underserved communities:
ii. People’s Breakfast Oakland