Tragically, the murder of George Floyd is just one of many infuriating and devastating examples of how racism is inherently woven into the fabric of our country. Here in the Twin Cities and in cities all over the nation, the havoc that injustice and a culture of white supremacy wreak on our communities of color and our nation every day has been made excruciatingly plain to see for everyone.

George Floyd should be alive today. Philando Castile, Jamar Clark, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and all the other Black people whose lives have been taken at the hands of police misconduct and institutionalized racism in this country should be alive today.

Given the reality of the systemized dismissal of Black humanity, we at MN Opera are continuing to commit ourselves to putting our anti-racist and anti-oppressive beliefs into practice as outlined in our Diversity Charter. It is our civic duty as an arts producer and cultural organization to act in accordance with these values and to uplift the Black members of our community as we all fight against systemic injustice and racism. 

We stand in solidarity with the Black community and the Black Lives Matter movement. To that end, we want to amplify the incredible work of organizations in the Twin Cities that are defending Black, Indigenous, and other targeted communities by creating spaces of refuge, healing, and justice. As an immediate action, our staff members have started compiling a list (below) of resources that they have found to be personally meaningful to help combat racial injustice. This list is only a fraction of the depth and expertise on these topics.

Many members of our staff, board, and roster of artists at MN Opera have utilized this list to help educate themselves and to contribute to the broader racial justice organizing ecosystem. We invite you to learn with us, read along, and consider supporting these organizations in whatever way you are able as we open our hearts and minds together.

This list will be updated on an ongoing basis.