We are grieving. We are grieving the loss of Black lives to systematic racism and police brutality. We are grieving the absence of inclusion of Black voices in experiences that directly affect them. We are also grieving that ELRD has been complicit in this exclusion. We are grieving upon reflecting for how long ELRD, as a majority white league with majority white audience members, has had the privilege of ignorance regarding the struggles of our Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) friends, neighbors, and community members.
ELRD prides itself on a culture of inclusivity and community in many arenas of difference -- but in the area of racial and ethnic inclusivity and diversity, we have fallen terribly short. This must change. This begins with acknowledging and addressing our mistakes. Our statement regarding these mistakes may seem a bit delayed, especially in light of the recent tragedies. Our delay was not for lack of empathy, but rather because we wanted to ensure that our words held meaning, that they would provide transparency, and that they would serve to hold us accountable to the actions that we, as a league, will take in the fight against injustice.
We recognize that racism is any prejudice against someone because of their race when those views are reinforced by institutions of power. More than individual events of prejudice, racism is a system of institutions that uphold the ideology that white lives are superior to all others. Racism is not new.
We continue to see racism written into our laws, from restrictive covenants that prevent people of color from buying property, to the disproportionate amount of police-caused deaths ending Black lives. Roller derby is not exempt from this systemic racism, nor is ELRD. Roller derby is, by and large, a sport populated by white, cis women. This must change.
We recognize that:
We have failed to address our internal biases within our league.
We have failed to create an environment within our league where BIPOC can feel safe.
We have failed to encourage and support diversity within our league and our audience.
We have failed to promote and raise money for community partners supporting BIPOC.
We have failed to do the work.
We commit to do better.
Within 1 week, ELRD will
Obtain a commitment form from members in elected leadership positions within the league to support a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment where people from all backgrounds can feel safe and welcomed.
Within 3 months, ELRD will
Hold a meeting among the ELRD Board of Directors, training staff, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to specifically identify our failures and to delegate the work to address them.
Create a step-by-step action plan with measurable outcomes to address our areas of failure.
Within approximately 6 months, ELRD will
Evaluate our league policies and bylaws to identify areas that are perpetuating systemic racism within the league.
Post a blog to our public website outlining the details of our action plan and identifying which steps have been addressed.
Within 1 year, ELRD will
Evaluate our plan and post our progress and failures to our public blog as a means of accountability and to identify areas for improvement in future planning.
We acknowledge our failures as a league, and we are committed to doing the work to be better--to promote a culture of inclusivity and to do the work to make BIPOC voices heard. We commit to making changes in the culture of this league to make this "the new normal".
For a beautifully written article addressing systemic racism specifically in roller derby, ELRD would like to direct our community to this piece by Atlanta Roller Derby’s Queen Loseyateefa: https://thederbyapex.com/systemic-racism-in-roller-derby-queen-loseyateefa-9baa17806f2d
ELRD urges our community to support national organizations, led by Black voices, by donating here: https://blacklivesmatter.com/
Header Art: https://twitter.com/zaynscandycane/status/1266291475068796929?s=11https://twitter.com/zaynscandycane/status/1266918790404718593?s=11
Artist: Zayn Stan @zaynscandycane
