Acknowledgment of Black Labor
We acknowledge that the United States was built at the often fatal expense of forcefully enslaved Black people. We acknowledge those who did not survive the Middle Passage and that some of our Ensemble, Staff, Board, and audience members here, might be direct descendants of those who were enslaved. We acknowledge those who still cannot safely walk down the street or sleep in their own homes and those who are still dying while fighting for their liberation. We acknowledge that Chicago, founded by Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable, remains one of the most segregated and inequitable cities in our country. Steppenwolf aims to cultivate space for Black stories to be uplifted and for Black lives to be celebrated. We pledge to infuse our work with true values of anti-racism.
We offer these acknowledgments with respect and gratitude, along with the intention to spark more awareness, compassion, and empathy for every life in our community.
About this statement
Steppenwolf Theatre Company acknowledges that we have benefitted from the system of White supremacy, which prioritizes the erasure, co-optation and appropriation of Blackness. We recognize that labor is not and cannot be the only value of Black bodies. We will uphold anti-racist values in all facets of our workâthe art we make, our day-to-day operations, our work in the classroom and in the community.
This living acknowledgement of Black Labor is a statement that recognizes and honors the African people who were enslaved at the hands of white colonizers and subjugated to unpaid labor and the descendants of enslaved African people. The purpose of recognizing this deep and difficult history is to show respect, gratitude and appreciation for the insurmountable contributions of the enslaved who worked the land against their will for generations for the sake of American capitalism, as well as increase awareness about the horrific outcome of a distorted Black American history.
It is important to acknowledge and understand the persistence of structural and institutional racism, and how we can all contribute to dismantling these systems and creating new and equitable solutions. These living acknowledgements commit us to doing anti-racist work today and beyond, as these histories are still being perpetuated via present-day racial privileges. We invite you to join us as we educate ourselves and activate our ability to be agents of change. Learn more.
IDEA
Steppenwolf is working to foster a culture of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) within our theater. Learn more about our living statements, commitments and actionable goals.