We Will Rise Summit: Pledges & Recordings

We extend a huge and sincere thank you to EVERYONE who took part in this year’s inaugural We Will Rise Summit. What a time to come together! Recordings, community pledges, and commitments are accessible below - let us move these words and inspirations into action!

 
 
 

Community Pledges

I commit to continued self growth through anti racism awareness and education and to speak truth with the foundation of this knowledge.

I will educate myself about being a better anti-racist ally.

I will educate myself about racism within musical theatre and the performing industry, so I may actively work against these systems and not contribute to them.

I commit to staying attuned to the realities of white supremacy in the culture around me and resisting them by calling them out in my teaching and in my daily life.

I will no longer remain silent when subtle or not so subtle microaggressions occur within my social circles.

I will continue to educate myself about the ways racial inequality has been embedded within U.S. culture through historical and theoretical studies and educate myself about its impact through reading/viewing, study, and teaching of artistic work by writers, directors, composers, and visual artists of color.

I will empower myself and others by trying to create space for and amplify the voices of those in the society around me who are suppressed or silenced.

I will create space for healing by practicing close empathetic listening in my life and my classroom.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by giving a prominent place in my social and teaching life to great artistic and historic figures of color, re-examining their thought and work for the present moment.continuing to educate myself, learn, and grow.

I commit to being an informed, reflective and proactive ally.

I commit to ongoing education to increase cultural competency and racial awareness as a teacher and human being, and to bring about sustained change and holding/creating spaces for true belonging.

I commit to always seeking the truth and educating myself on other's cultural values.

I will no longer judge people by their economic status but rather respect where they come from and value their community.

I will educate myself about ways to act toward restorative justice in and beyond the classroom.

I commit to listening intently to my peers, reflect on the ways I can support my community, and actively engage in the fight for intersectional equity.

I commit to educating myself about Black History, Culture and Racial Injustices and will use my knowledge to consistently advocate for black voices and lives in my career and personal life.

I will do my best to help establish equity and equal chances for the Black people and for all people who are discriminated at the benefits of other people. I will also do everything I can to abolish White Supremacy.

I will empower myself or others by using the tools in my position to advocate for Black and POC people at Berklee.

I commit to centering Black stories and experiences.

I commit to speaking up and speaking out about racism in our community.

I commit to using my talents and platforms to let others know of the harm of racism, and how to be anti-racism.

I commit to honoring black legacy and encouraging resiliency.

I commit to being part of conversations that bring up discomfort.

I will honor black legacy and resilience by practicing presence and honoring lineages of black artistry.

I commit to actively listen. I commit to continue my self-education, challenge those who still don't understand the importance and the urgency of antiracism work in my community, continue to find avenues to unlearn the history of Spain and Europe in their relation to Africa and try to embody the responsibility that comes with learning its real complexity.

I commit to developing the right tools and resources to articulate my personal and professional action in this work. I'll do this to better serve our students in Valencia, but also to try and be an agent of change in my community, to the best of my abilities.

I commit to continually learning about the Black experience and making active strides in my anti-racism work & education.

I commit to creating a good platform for every voice to be heard.

I commit to understand and appreciating the Black experience in America.

I commit to challenging my own bias and learning how to have difficult conversations with my family and friends.

I commit to paying attention.

I will no longer ignore the wrongs around me.

I will educate myself about Black history.

I will empower myself by speaking up.

I will create space for healing by listening with my heart.

I commit to digging out my own implicit biases; studying the struggles oppressed people in my community face; learning how I can support oppressed people in my community; and fighting to build a world built on social justice for all identities.

I will create space for healing by stepping out of the light and letting others tell their stories. By Listening!!! By using my voice to advocate and by bearing the burden of correcting wrongs, taking the weight off of others, by educating.

I will empower myself and others by continuing to amplify black voices in my community while supporting social justice campaigns in Chicago and throughout the world.

I will no longer apologize for asking the critical questions.

I will honor black legacy and resilience by learning all I can about my ancestry, doing the ongoing lifelong inner soul-searching work that will inform, empower, direct and transform my service to other human beings.

I commit to learning more about antiracism and how I can incorporate it into the different facets of my life.

I will take pride in teaching my young boys about the importance of antiracism and the immeasurable harm and suffering racism has caused.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by learning how to best raise and amplify the voices of my Black brothers, sisters, and non-binary family in giving up my privilege to reach a world of equity.

I will create space for healing by listening, and treating everyone with respect, hope, compassion, and empathy.

I commit to making anti-racist work a priority.

I commit to educating myself in anti-racism and embodying attitudes and actions that display this commitment.

I commit to anti racism advocacy, training and learning.

I will empower myself or others by taking up space and being heard as a Latina woman and use my space/platform to amplify the voices of Black/Brown folks.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by celebrating Black stories historical and current.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by walking the talk!

I commit to learning about and practicing anti-racism.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by continuing to learn about and consistently teach works about and by Black poets and authors in all my classes.

I will empower myself or others by values of honesty and equality, and against mistreating each other.

I commit to finding ways to make white privilege okay to talk about, so that I can continue the important work of addressing and working to eradicate systemic racism.

I commit to the goal and principles of anti-racism and will work towards eliminating racism from our school and community.

I commit to making every effort to unlearn the implicit biases I hold, and I commit to creating safe and welcoming spaces for Black and BIPOC students.

I will empower myself and others by continuing the effort to spread understanding and the importance of the contributions of individuals and groups of the African Diaspora.

I commit to striving to be a supporter and ally to my colleagues of color.

I commit to doing all I can to support and honor Black Legacy and Resilience: Education, Empowerment, and Healing. Especially, loving all my black siblings.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by seeking out and listening to Black voices, engaging and uplifting the work of Black artists, and undertaking the work to support them.

I will educate myself about the International dimensions and complexities of racism.

I commit to carving out space to be and practice being deeply present in these conversations and to use my role as one mechanism to advance this important work.

I commit to educating myself.. continuously.

I will no longer minimize myself.

I commit to being the change necessary in this society to promote diversity, equality, and inclusion.

I will educate myself about Black history and ways to be a part of the healing that must happen for real change.

I will create a space for healing and change by using my influence in my community and in my practice.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by uplifting my black brothers and sisters, speak truth to power, and hold space for our collective healing.

I commit to living my most authentic life and supporting others in doing the same.

I commit to being a better, braver ally to my black brothers and sisters. To be part of the change necessary in our society by educating myself.

I commit to continuing the ACTIVE work of antiracism by educating myself, doing the work, examining assumptions, and using my leadership positions to create space for, listen to, and honor Black voices.

I commit to recognizing the history of racism in our country, acknowledging my privilege, and working to create an anti-racist Berklee.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by staying true to myself and my experience in each of these spaces with my colleagues.

I will create space for healing by listening to those who want to be heard, and educating myself on topics that may be uncomfortable but truly and honestly needed.

I will commit to anti-racism.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by understanding more about what is involved in making this commitment

I commit to speaking up.

I will empower myself and others through advocating and supporting an environment that champions accountability for the equity, equality, and racial justice we are committed to.

I will commit to continue to build my community and not just present problems but address solutions!

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by coming home to my body and liberating my authentic voice.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by lifting up my Blackness and the beauty of it.

I commit to put myself in other people's shoes and try to better understand them.

I will no longer carry any microaggressions against people of other races.

I will educate myself about anti-racism as I have not been educated about this in the past.

I will empower myself or others by standing up for what's right and wrong.

I will create space for healing by being respectful and listening to what others have to say in conversations about racism and anti-racism.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by upholding myself accountable on what I have educated myself about anti-racism.

I commit to learning all I can about the We Will Rise Summit today and to keep an open mind.

I will empower myself or others by speaking up, standing up, and educating others when friends or family speak negatively, intentionally or unintentionally, about those different from themselves.

I commit to continue to learn history so I can help understand and heal racial injustice.

I commit to learning more about race inequality.

I commit to rise! I will no longer let others be uneducated about equality!!

I will educate myself about black leaders! I will empower myself and other by sharing the knowledge I learned!!

I will create space for healing by respecting everyone's voice! I will honor black legacy and resilience by standing for what is right! I commit to rise!

I commit to learn and be open to these ideas and concepts.

I commit to no longer being stagnant in the advancement of black related issues and advancement.

I commit to Blackness always!

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by creating an awareness of those who exemplify Black legacy and resilience.

I will create space for healing by embracing all that I am and accepting my flaws and taking the space I need to learn and grow.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by being excellent and making my ancestors proud.

I will no longer stay silent when I see unjust situations - I need to use my voice EVERY time I see prejudice, bigotry, or injustice and at least work to educate people about alternative perspectives before its too late!

I will empower myself by recognizing and valuing my own strength more, and not being dismissive of it.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by finding meaningful and authentic ways to incorporate more Black voices into my courses -- through readings, recordings, and repertoire.

I will empower myself or others by learning more about how to incorporate diversity and inclusion in my daily teaching strategies and pedagogy.

I will educate myself about how to integrate diversity and inclusion in my daily teaching and overall teaching pedagogy.

I will commit to continuing the struggle as long as there is a struggle to continue.

I will empower myself or others by the continuance of expressing the absolute need of education, mentoring those in that process, to the end of having doctorate degrees in their speciality. To educate that the Doctorate is what is revered in a court of law, cannot be easily denied or cannot be denied without question, in business loans or pitching business ideas.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by listening to the experiences POC are sharing. Being receptive to what they're saying and how I can be a better ally.

I commit to surrounding myself with stories and experiences and joys of folks who do not look like me.

I commit to raising the voices of all those marginalized by the shroud of racism!

I commit to listening.

I commit to continue to educate myself on Black legacy and resilience, to share that acquired knowledge with others, to invite others to join me in that quest, to continually try to put myself in the shoes of Black community members as I view the world around me, to set an example with the way I conduct myself, to speak up when I witness Black community members not being heard, valued or respected.

I will create space for healing by talking less and listening more.

I commit to becoming my greatest self and challenging others to do the same.

I will no longer allow societal "norms" to dictate my journey and growth.

I will continue to educate myself on our beautiful Black History and the communities and spaces that have missions I can stand behind.

I will empower myself by choosing ways that I can specifically contribute to the education of Black youth in a positive and holistic way.

I will create space for healing by continuing to build up a network for Black Berklee alumni to keep connected and motivate each other.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by always celebrating the collective accomplishments of our ancestors, our peers, and the ingenuity of our youth.learning more about Black history and Black eminence throughout American culture. I will also commit to rooting out my own racism.

Today I will educate myself about the impact of racism in the music industry and on how artists have an obligation to use their platform and voices for antiracism.

I will educate myself about the ways in which joy and integrity within Black American communities inform Black performance forms.

I will honor Black legacy and resilience by continuing to learn about Black artists and amplifying Black voices as part of my daily antiracist practice.

I will educate myself about Black History, empower myself and others by encouraging us to offer the best of ourselves and our heritage, and create space for healing by respecting and caring for everyone and their perspectives, even if I should disagree with them.

I commit to keep working against racism.

I will create space for healing by listening and watching intently to the beautiful voices shared today and empower them and celebrate them!