We have no words that can express the magnitude and range of emotions that our BIPOC community members are feeling following the guilty verdicts handed down this past Tuesday. The news comes both as a relief and reminder of pain as we continue to see the brutal murders of Black and brown people. We hold George Floyd and his family in our hearts. We feel gratitude and sorrow for Darnella Frazier and the many individuals who bore witness to the murder and will carry that weight for the rest of their lives.
Our BIPOC communities are facing relentless grief and generational trauma. We share your pain and grief because we are intertwined as a community. We know that grief looks and feels different for each person, but one universal is known: Grief isn’t meant to be processed alone.
The Museum hopes to be a place where the community can gather to process that grief—with art, through art, with connections and community. While COVID limits these opportunities for now, we’re thinking of ways to support the BIPOC community through this grieving process and invite you to share with us your thoughts for that support.
—Signed the Portland Art Museum and Northwest Film Center Equity Team
