Oregon ACDA, first and foremost, unequivocally believes that Black lives matter. We will demonstrate this in every way possible including, but not limited to:  

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• Acknowledging that the centering of whiteness and appropriation of non-European cultures have historically existed in our choral art form, and consequently in this organization. The anti-racism work requires intentional steps to create a more equitable space. 

• Cultivating opportunities to listen to our Black, Brown and Indiginous people, Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islanders, and LGBTQ+ educators and directors to learn from their experiences in our society. This includes allocating resources to engage Diversity Equity and Inclusion consultants to ensure our approaches are initiated from an informed perspective. 

• Ensuring our Black students understand that we support Black Lives Matter, and that we will listen and learn from their experience living as Black Americans in our society. 
   

We pledge the following tangible actions to embody our affirmation that Black lives matter: 
 

• Diversify our board and create a task force to ensure that we act swiftly and with purpose. 

• Select and emphasize choral literature that represents the nuanced and various perspectives reflected in the Black experience in America. 

• Engage presenters and guest conductors from diverse backgrounds and prioritize sessions on performance practice in Black American music to avoid cultural appropriation. 

• Denounce all literature that promotes, celebrates, or demonstrates ignorance of racial inequality in the past, present, or future.  

• Investigate the structures and practices within our choral educational protocols that further perpetuate the hierarchical systems, i.e. choral competitions and honor choir processes.  

• Acknowledge that diversity is the lens through which all programming choices should be examined.