SCMA condemns the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Ahmaud Arbery and joins in demands for justice and accountability. Their deaths are not isolated events. Alongside the 911 call that threatened Christian Cooper’s life, they are part of a continuum of structural anti-Black racism and white supremacy in the United States. The status quo is vile, it is rooted in history, and it is indefensible. 

Art has long played a role in shaping whom a society recognizes as human and whose humanity it denies. And art museums, including ours, have historically centered the lives and creations of a few to the exclusion of the many. Dismantling white supremacy and privilege and changing long-standing structures of inequity and injustice require more than words: they require work, time, and dedicated resources. We are committed to this work and we know it starts at home.

There are many organizations leading the way for social justice, equity, and accountability in Massachusetts. These resources include: Black Lives Matter, Boston; Arise for Social Justice, Springfield; The Care Center, Holyoke; Tapestry Health, Springfield; Wee The People, Boston, and The Pioneer Valley Workers’ Center, Northampton.