Public Statements
Dated: March 22, 2020
The NCTC Board, staff, and artists stand in solidarity with the AAPI (Asian American/Pacific Islander) community and against the ongoing, deadly anti-Asian racism.
A chilling report from Stop AAPI Hate shows nearly 3,800 reports of hate incidents against the AAPI community, largely Asian-American women, between mid-March 2020 and the end of February 2021 – and those are just the ones reported. While the alarming rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in the last year has been largely driven by racist propaganda surrounding COVID-19, unfortunately anti-Asian racism and xenophobia are not new phenomena.
The recent violence here in the Bay Area, Atlanta, and around the country makes it painfully clear that there is still a great deal of work to be done. We condemn these acts of hate and misogyny, and join in the call for action.
Ways you can support the AAPI Community:
- Donate to the AAPI Community Fund
- Report any incidents you see
- Take a bystander intervention training course
- Support our friends at the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance
Dated: June 16, 2020
Dear NCTC Community,
Our roots are in activism for the LGBTQ+ community and we have seen first-hand how coming together with our actions and voices can bring change. We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and will not return to the status quo. This is the theatre of our lives.
At NCTC, our mission is to utilize art to create personal & societal growth, enlightenment and change. As always, we will continue to work tirelessly to be ever more inclusive in our stories, in our artists, and in our audiences.
For far too long we have been counseled to only be patient and the long cycle of bigotry and racism that has plagued our country would someday be broken. The bleeding would stop and the wounds would heal. But then the murder of George Floyd happened, a flash point fanned by the flames of other deaths–Ahmaud Abrery, Dominique ‘Rem’mie’ Fells, Riah Milton, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and so many more. Martin Luther King Jr. said that “A riot is the language of the unheard,” a prophesy borne out by the violent outbursts erupting in many US cities.
Although we may be weary, this is the time to rise up and articulate our grief and anger. We can point ourselves towards the urgency of activism so that we may turn this seemingly unforgiving tide and say clearly not only with our words but also with our actions that we condemn violence against Black lives. Volunteering for an organization working for change, lobbying elected officials and voting in November are some of the obvious avenues. Do whatever you can, whenever you can. NCTC stands in solidarity with all of you at this threshold of change.
Click here for a list of resources to educate yourself, donate and support Black-owned businesses.
Click here for our commitment to be an anti-racist organization.
Regards,
Ed Decker
NCTC Founder and Artistic Director
Barbara Hodgen
NCTC Executive Director