Brownbody’s statement on the white supremacy and racism embedded in the fabric of formalized white skating systems and institutions :
Brownbody is and has always been in support of Black and Brown Lives. We are an arts organization that blends modern dance, theater, social justice practice, and figure skating. We intentionally work on building anti-racist, anti-oppression, and trauma-informed spaces and communities. We build work that nourishes Black and Brown dancers, skaters, performers, and the Black and Brown communities of which we are a part. Black Lives Matter!
By the very nature of our work we are intertwined with the skating community. While we do have personnel partners at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) and white supporters that have been dedicated in their work with Brownbody, we recognize that racism continues to prevail as a cornerstone of the structural fabric of the skating world. People do and can make a difference. However, the general oversight and governance systems that are at the root of so many arts, dance, and skating institutions continue to be drenched in white supremacist ideology and racism.
We denounce the refusal of the skating world to work on and dismantle racist and white supremacist orientations. We are not affiliated or associated with any skating club, US Figure Skating/ISI (Ice Skating Institute), or any formalized skating-based entity because of the rampant discrimination against Black and Brown skaters that continues to occur in those spaces. We see you and we look forward to observing your undoing of racism and oppression in ice skating.