Dear Friends,
Today and every day, we stand against racism. We honor the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade. Their deaths at the hands of law enforcement, like countless before them, reflect a human rights crisis rooted in this country’s legacy of systemic racism.
The protests, riots, and the anguish are put in further relief against the backdrop of a pandemic that has killed more than 109,000 Americans and placed one in four workers on unemployment. The pandemic has affected everyone deeply, while disproportionately affecting Black communities.
There is much work to be done in striving toward equity and inclusion. We know that art is essential not just in the grieving process, but for building empathy and mutual understanding as a tool of anti-racism. Art is a mirror in which we see ourselves and through which we see the lives of others. Film is a particularly powerful asset in shining a light into darkness.
ACT is committed to uplifting and amplifying Black filmmakers and films. We recognize we are a predominantly white organization that acts as a cultural gatekeeper of film exhibition. We will create more space to listen, learn, and to amplify the voices that need to be heard. We are committed to doing more.
We stand with those who advocate for justice and too often have to take on extraordinary personal risk to challenge oppression and institutional racism.
Black Lives Matter.
Sincerely,
ACT Human Rights Film Festival’s Faculty and Staff