"I Can't Breathe"

Recently, I saw the movie Titanic again. While I was watching, this classic seemed like a metaphor for our times -- that we were cruising inevitably towards an unforeseen crash that was unlike anything we expected.  And sure enough, just as we were beginning to "reopen" commerce and celebrate a comeback of sorts from the ravages of COVID-19, we stumbled into a tidal wave of reactions -- currents and counter-currents -- brought to light through the global witness of a man's life being ground out while he murmured, "I can't breathe."   

Somehow, we must learn to breathe again, and we must do it collectively.  We know that the arts have a role to play, to re-create the forces of civilization while inspiring our better angels. The arts can teach us how to breath together, to tune the collective chords of wisdom, of veracity, and of empathy that will reveal the visions of a better future that we need to survive these dispirited times.

Let's not let George Floyd's unwilling sacrifice pass without doing our part to overcome this tragedy that is roiling our nation.  A cache of lifeboats reserved for the few on the top deck will not help if we don't reach out to save everyone.

Alma Robinson,

Executive Director