Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS announced Monday a donation of $125,000 distributed across the Broadway Advocacy Coalition and three other social justice and anti-racism groups.
Of the total grant amount, $50,000 will be given to the Broadway Advocacy Coalition to support its “Broadway for Black Lives Matter Again” forum this week, as well as ongoing efforts to address racism within the industry. Broadway Cares will also send grants of $25,000 each to the Bail Project, Color of Change and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
The grants come from a general fund within Broadway Cares, which is funded by money raised from donations and fundraising outside of special campaigns such as the COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund.
“The street action and protests ignited by the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and far too many others now demand that we address systemic racism in all communities, including Broadway,” Tom Viola, executive director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, said in a press release. “We need to hold ourselves accountable and do more to amplify and listen to BIPOC voices.”
Founded in 2016, the Broadway Advocacy Coalition aims to use art as an instrument of social change. It has been supported by Broadway Cares since its inception. The group announced a three-part series this week to tackle the issue of racism within the Broadway industry.
“Our nation’s history of racism has trickled into our industry in ways that prevent actors of color the liberties that white actors are accustomed to,” said Britton Smith, president of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition. “With the ongoing support from Broadway Cares, we will be able to work to ensure that people of color join the tables where decisions are made, reflecting that black lives really do matter within our industry.”
“Black Lives Matter is a statement of humanization,” said Adrienne Warren, a co-founder of the group. “In this moment of pause, may we focus our energy on committing to doing the work to own the title we so often call ourselves, ‘community.’”
