Our Commitment to Racial Justice

The murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police has deeply saddened, angered, and motivated the Board of Story Arts of Minnesota. We stand with People of Color, the protesters, and all who have been subject to discrimination. We join them in demanding innovative and equitable approaches to public safety, and advocating for the dismantling of the many systems which privilege white people and disadvantage all others. Story Arts of MInnesota has long seen story as a way to hear those whose voices have been silenced or undervalued. Now, more than ever, we pledge to actively seek ways to build community understanding, bring about opportunities for deep listening, and support those whose voices are undervalued and discounted.

To that end, Story Arts of Minnesota commits to developing and implementing an anti-racism policy by August 1, 2020, that includes:

• Creating an equitable and welcoming space for underrepresented voices and communities at our annual StoryFest and other SAM sponsored events;
• Actively building relationships with communities of color;
• Building a more inclusive board representative of our communities;
• Supporting storytelling programs in communities of color;
• Examining our own inherent biases deeply, with a commitment to changing ourselves and helping to dismantle structures of inequity.

We, the Story Arts of Minnesota Board, hereby commit ourselves to these anti-racism steps as a minimal level of action, and will actively work to listen to and support communities of color. We pledge to listen more, to speak out where appropriate, and to use story to help build a more equitable world.

June 17, 2020