We are here to support Emerson staff on the front lines, dealing with race-based trauma, or simply looking for how they can take action against racism. To support people of color, both within the Emerson community and in the greater Boston community, we are sharing a number of resources and activities on this page. This list is not exhaustive and we are open to your ideas and contributions. We hope you will join us on this journey, at whatever point you are on the path. The Emerson Staff Union is committed to taking a stand as an anti-racist organization, at a time when we recognize simply being “not racist” is not enough.
A great place for us to begin is with Emerson’s own Social Justice Center. They have a strong history of education, program creation and collaboration with community programs:
For BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) needing support, here are some resources:
For white allies who are looking to educate themselves, here are some resources for books, articles, films, and podcasts. BIPOC should not be burdened with educating white allies. We encourage you to take an active part in starting to educate yourself:
When you’re ready for action:
“It is the duty of the younger Negro artist…to change through the force of his art that old whispering ‘I want to be white,’ hidden in the aspirations of his people, to ‘Why should I be white? I am a Negro—and beautiful!’” – Langston Hughes
These are statements from our own Emerson Staff Union leadership, as well as the SEIU Local 888 Executive Board and the SEIU International: