Aisha Jackson and Noah J. Ricketts, formerly of Broadway's Frozen, have launched a new hashtag #TheaterInColor.
The initiative encourages artists and theatrical professionals of color to come forward with testimonials describing the racism they have encountered in the theatre industry and to express their hopes for a better future.
Broadway voices who have lent their experiences to the hashtag so far include Jelani Alladin (Frozen, Hercules), Jessie Hooker-Bailey (Waitress, Beautiful), Raymond J. Lee (Groundhog Day), Melody A. Betts (Waitress), Tracee Beazer Barrett (Frozen), and Brittney Johnson (Wicked).
See their testimonials below:
PLEASE READ, SHARE and SHARE YOUR STORY! If you are reading this message, it's because you are a crucial part of history. We are on the brink of changing the way theatrical stories are brought to life. This is an integral moment that will define our experiences for years to come. It is important, now more than ever, to bring to light the injustices we've endured and share our vision for a brighter future. We must do this for ourselves and for the many that will come after us. By daring to be brave and speak up about the racism we've endured, we are holding a mirror to our theatrical community. In my bio you will find resources to share your personal experiences with racism, as well as, your vision for moving forward. Please post these graphics and your experiences using #TheaterInColor in the caption. That way all of our stories can be easily found. We encourage you to send these graphics to as many artists of color as possible. We want to hear from musicians, actors, directors, stage managers, writers and stagehands of color. We want stories to pour in from all departments of our industry because I'm sure we all have experiences to share. Now is the time to raise our voices. The first step is exposing the racism and injustice within our community. Let's stand together, share our stories, and begin to create the change that is so desperately needed in our industry. With love, Aisha Jackson Noah J. Ricketts #theaterincolor
A post shared by Melody A Betts (@melodybettspage) on Jun 11, 2020 at 4:39pm PDT
.jpg?format=auto&width=365)
