The Museum and Northwest Film Center stand with the Black Lives Matter movement. As we prepare to reopen after these past few months of closure due to COVID-19—a time when we saw massive protests against police brutality in our city and around the world—we share a symbol of our support.
What is Black Lives Matter? Learn more below from the organization’s statement of purpose.
“#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.
We are expansive. We are a collective of liberators who believe in an inclusive and spacious movement. We also believe that in order to win and bring as many people with us along the way, we must move beyond the narrow nationalism that is all too prevalent in Black communities. We must ensure we are building a movement that brings all of us to the front.
We affirm the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, undocumented folks, folks with records, women, and all Black lives along the gender spectrum. Our network centers those who have been marginalized within Black liberation movements.
We are working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically targeted for demise.
We affirm our humanity, our contributions to this society, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.
The call for Black lives to matter is a rallying cry for ALL Black lives striving for liberation.”
Learn more about equity and inclusion at the Museum and Northwest Film Center
- Equity Statement
- Portland Art Museum Announces Equity Statement
- Reflecting on the Process of Equity Work at the Museum
- Black Lives Matter – Learning and community resources as a way to share, converse, and catalyze change in ourselves and our communities.
- Acknowledging the role of our museum in oppression
- Racial Equity: The Museum and Representation of Black Artists
