This letter was distributed to our entire e-mailing list and posted on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter on June 1, 2020:
This week, we have once again seen the United States gripped by violent racist acts. For too long, Black Americans have been forced to live in fear, their day-to-day lives clouded by systemic racism at every level of American life. In order for this country to achieve its unrealized promise, in order for each of us to approach our human potential, this must stop.
Here at BETC, we acknowledge that we have much further to go, as an organization and as individuals. But to every Black American we say: we see you, we hear you, we stand with you. Every one of your lives is precious. Every one of your lives matters.
To the White members of the BETC family, we say now is the time to act. Stand up. Speak out. Confront racism wherever you see it: in your communities, in your families, in the mirror.
No words adequately describe the pain of this moment. And the road ahead promises more pain and more anguish as we confront this stain on our nation. But together, with love in our hearts, we can and will find a better way. We must. We have no other choice.
Erika Mori appeared in BETC’s production of The Wolves and Gang of Frogs’ production of Tape. She is currently filming motion-capture and voice-over work in the lead role of a story-driven video game, as well as serving as both actor and facilitator for Kaiser Permanente’s Care Equity Project and RISE UP programs. She can be seen in Theaterworks’ upcoming production of Arcadia.