Dear Friends,
Yet again, we are witnessing violence in our country, cities, communities, towards our friends and ourselves. Some are shocked, many are not, as fear and violence are daily realities.
Last week we witnessed a horrific hate-crime that took the lives of eight people in Atlanta — six of them Asian American women. This targeted violence occurred amidst increasing threats and hate against the Asian American community. Park Square and SteppingStone Theatres are grieving and longing for justice.
Less than a year after the murder of George Floyd, we find ourselves grappling with many of the same questions, now for our Asian American community: Why is the world still like this? How can we make it better for our children, neighbors, friends, and ourselves? How can we transform our history, riddled with racial oppression and exclusion, into a future where inclusion is embraced and differences are celebrated?
We don’t have the answers. As theatres, Park Square and SteppingStone are here to bear witness, to share stories that reveal harm, and to inspire us into a just future, joyfully celebrating the possibilities and promise in us all. As we work to share stories of our full community, in our realness, hurt, hope, and imperfect beauty, we have also compiled some resources to help create new narratives in real life.
Here are resources specifically designed for young people and for educators.
- Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) resources for Youth Activism.
- Learning for Justice guidance for educators on Speaking Up Against Racism Around the Coronavirus.
- Enjoy these book recommendations for young people from Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul.
Here are resources for those in need of support and safety; and for people who want to learn more about issues of race and justice.
- Prepare to de-escalate and protect yourself and others with these safety guides created by the Asian American Federation and the Center for Anti-Violence education.
- Spend some time with The Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit created by 15 grassroots organizations with Asian American bases.
- Read some of the books recommended for adults from Electric Lit.
- Visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s tools for discussing race and systems of oppression.
Here are some actions you can take right now to support our community.
- Check-in and listen to your Asian American friends and colleagues.
- Bring your business to local Asian-American-owned stores, restaurants, and organizations.
- Follow and support Theater Mu. One of the leading Asian American theatre companies in the country, Theater Mu has been supporting Asian American artists and creating plays that celebrate their stories for nearly 30 years.
- Donate to Theater Mu, The Center for Asian Pacific American Women, #StopAsianHate, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, or Asian Minnesotan Alliance for Justice.
We are all a critical part of writing our country’s new story and making our culture together. Your voice and action learning about and addressing stereotypes, bias, and hostility are the first step toward a better future. We need to push back against injustice, challenge the status quo of inequity, violence, and injustice, and generate optimism and fundamental change. What we do now, can create that change. Let’s grieve together, take care of one another, face discomfort, and make this injustice STOP.
Stay healthy, safe, and brave.
Park Square Theatre and SteppingStone Theatre for Youth