Chicago – Actors’ Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, has released a statement in response to Derek Chauvin’s conviction for the murder of George Floyd.
From Kate Shindle, president, and Mary McColl, executive director of Actors’ Equity Association:
“We hope that this verdict brings George Floyd’s loved ones a sense of justice. We also hope that this conviction carries forth the message that Black lives matter, and George Floyd’s life mattered. Equity joins with Black voices to demand structural policing reforms, in Minneapolis and nationwide, to prevent deadly acts of racist violence.”
Background: Last June, Equity’s council issued a Black Lives Matter statement, asserting that the union “values inclusion, and commits itself to being aggressive and responsive in achieving equity for all its members.”
Equity’s work to #ChangeTheStage begins with re-examining its own systems, structures, and processes from the ground up. The strategic framework by which carry this work forward is called the Diversity & Inclusion Retrofit.
ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. www.actorsequity.org #EquityWorks
April 20, 2021
###
