I’m writing as a former resident of Minnesota from a place of grief and rage over the murder of Daunte Wright. Daunte was beloved by his friends and family, including his two-year old child. This horrific act of anti-Black police brutality is only made worse by occurring so close to the Derek Chauvin trial, where the trauma of George Floyd’s murder and uncertainty of justice are so painfully present. This violence follows the release of the video showing police officers terrorizing Lieutenant Caron Nazario, and we know that many of the wounds inflicted by this brutal system don’t ever rise to national attention.
To our Black colleagues, we see you, we know you’re grieving and exhausted, and we know our theatre field must redouble its efforts to end anti-Blackness. To all of our members in the Minnesota region, we are with you in your rage, your grief, your protests, your political action, and your community care. In the spirit of our own accountability, here are some ways TCG is showing up for Black Theatres and Black theatre workers, including ways we can all defend and celebrate Black lives.
Please let us know how you’re doing and how we can support you. If there’s anything we can communicate to the field on your behalf through my Weekly Briefing, American Theatre magazine, TCG Circle, or any of our channels, please let us know. Please know that you are not alone, and our field of theatre-makers stands ready to support you. Police brutality and White supremacy must be dismantled, and we look forward to working with all theatre people to use our power as culture-makers to end it.