Free 2 Be Me Dance does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.
The three primary racial equity principles that our organization is committed to are:
- Courageous Conversations: Having the hard conversations about how racism has impacted the dance community and people with diverse needs in ways that create systematic oppression in the arts and public health industries.
- Brave Spaces: Creating spaces with– not for– those we serve is essential to centering people of color in our organization as the primary leaders, decision-makers and experts on combatting racist systems and providing culturally appropriate services. This also means acknowledging the many intersectionalities of those we serve and valuing each person’s unique identity.
- Reparations and Advocacy: We acknowledge that our institutions were built from atrocities such as the enslavement of African and Indigenous peoples and that these institutions historically and still today actively discriminate against people of color and their cultures. We also acknowledge the racial disparities that are a direct result of racist and xenophobic systems. We continue to look for ways in which we can redirect resources back into these communities, invest in and center the people and programs that teach dance histories not found in the mainstream, and promote healing so that our vision of a healthy community can become a reality.
