In Support of Black Lives Matter

Representation matters. There is no Deaf arts community without Black Deaf / DeafBlind artists. We, Deaf Spotlight, acknowledge that we have not done enough to reach out to and spotlight the Black Deaf / DeafBlind community in the Pacific Northwest. To fulfill our mission “to inspire and showcase Deaf culture and ASL through the arts”, we must inspire and showcase Black Deaf / DeafBlind Culture and Black ASL.

Accountability matters. We will collaborate with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Deaf/ DeafBlind artists, arts organizations, and arts groups to showcase their works. We will nurture new generations of BIPOC Deaf / DeafBlind artists and their authentic stories or artworks.

Anti-Black racism exists. This systemic and institutional hatred is built on prejudice, privilege, and ignorance. We commit to addressing racial equity on all levels within the Deaf community. We will begin the challenge of reversing a lifetime of internalized racism within ourselves, our organization, and our communities. We will challenge our peer organizations to do the same.

Our commitment includes the following steps:
-Listen, learn, understand, and discuss difficult issues to become an anti-racist Deaf arts organization
-Take actions to be more equitable and accessible to BIPOC Deaf/ DeafBlind communities
-Create more BIPOC artists and leaders through mentorship, outreach, and representation in the Deaf arts community
-Amplify BIPOC Deaf / DeafBlind artists/creators and their work through our events and on social media

We are on the path towards becoming an anti-racist art community that spotlights all Deaf / DeafBlind artists. Contact us at info@deafspotlight.org, if you have any concerns, ideas or feedback. Please join us on the right side of history.

Black Lives Matter.

Deaf Spotlight

June, 14, 2020