See Our Truths: Transforming Pace Performing Arts
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Hi, my name is Alexander Sanders and I am one of the creators of See Our Truths.
See Our Truths was created to share individual and collective truths for the purposes of building community, healing through connection, and dismantling oppression in all of its forms. This is a movement that will be open to any person or group of people that has experienced oppression and finally want to take a stand against it and change it. Our platform will be dedicated to a current mission until we see the change we want.
Current Mission: Pace University’s Performing Arts Department
-Abolishing, transforming, and rebuilding the racist and discriminatory structure of Pace University’s Musical Theatre program.
-Seeking justice and reparations for 200 alumni and students of color for over 14 years of racist and discriminatory treatment both from the faculty and Amy Rogers, the head of the Musical Theater program, as well as the oppressive policies and practices of a school that is known as the “diversity school”
The ignition of this movement starts between the years of 2012-2016 when I attended Pace University’s Musical Theater program in New York City. I, along with my peers, was promised an education like no other in the country. The main “selling” point was the program had accepted a widely diverse student body. So much so that Pace’s musical theater program is sometimes known as the “diversity school” within the theater community. It was true in numbers as well, Pace had and continues to have some of the highest averages of “students of color” when compared to national theater school averages. So we believed it was a diverse school. We were promised an education that would not adhere to the racist and discriminatory precedents set by our industry or the world. But this was not the case. In those 4 years I not only experienced racism, discrimination, sexism, fetishization, neglect, bullying, and oppression in all its forms but also witnessed it happen to my peers daily. In 2016 we tried a combination of sending letters to the head or our program and a lawsuit, but the letters were ignored and the lawsuit fell through because of the statute of limitations. Now we have another chance to get the justice and reparations that the students and alumni of color that have gone through this treatment deserve!
We need the support of communities that have access to resources and financial security in order to continue to produce these stories that need to be heard in this time of change. We would greatly appreciate any contribution you can make! Together we can make the change we want to see in this world, but first we have to be able to “see” it, so please consider helping us in making the world finally See Our Truths!
______________________________________________
Budgeting:
*Costs for Film Day (Film Day=Two Episodes)
$50- Snack Kit for Film Day
$150- Meal Kit for Film Day
$320-$500- Studio Space for Film Day
$1,600- Photography/Video/Production/Editing
$8,000- Recoupment of Out-of-Pocket Investments
$10,00- Consultation & Advisement towards Reformative and Transformative Justice
$30,000- Total Projected Cost for Film Production through September
Note: As the movement continues to develop and make actionable steps towards our current mission we will be updating the budgeting so you know exactly where your support went! So please continue to check back as you continue to support. Obviously this movement is dedicated to transparency and truth and we will demonstrate that in our budgeting plan as well. (Last updated: 8/25/20)
See Our Truths was created to share individual and collective truths for the purposes of building community, healing through connection, and dismantling oppression in all of its forms. This is a movement that will be open to any person or group of people that has experienced oppression and finally want to take a stand against it and change it. Our platform will be dedicated to a current mission until we see the change we want.
Current Mission: Pace University’s Performing Arts Department
-Abolishing, transforming, and rebuilding the racist and discriminatory structure of Pace University’s Musical Theatre program.
-Seeking justice and reparations for 200 alumni and students of color for over 14 years of racist and discriminatory treatment both from the faculty and Amy Rogers, the head of the Musical Theater program, as well as the oppressive policies and practices of a school that is known as the “diversity school”
The ignition of this movement starts between the years of 2012-2016 when I attended Pace University’s Musical Theater program in New York City. I, along with my peers, was promised an education like no other in the country. The main “selling” point was the program had accepted a widely diverse student body. So much so that Pace’s musical theater program is sometimes known as the “diversity school” within the theater community. It was true in numbers as well, Pace had and continues to have some of the highest averages of “students of color” when compared to national theater school averages. So we believed it was a diverse school. We were promised an education that would not adhere to the racist and discriminatory precedents set by our industry or the world. But this was not the case. In those 4 years I not only experienced racism, discrimination, sexism, fetishization, neglect, bullying, and oppression in all its forms but also witnessed it happen to my peers daily. In 2016 we tried a combination of sending letters to the head or our program and a lawsuit, but the letters were ignored and the lawsuit fell through because of the statute of limitations. Now we have another chance to get the justice and reparations that the students and alumni of color that have gone through this treatment deserve!
We need the support of communities that have access to resources and financial security in order to continue to produce these stories that need to be heard in this time of change. We would greatly appreciate any contribution you can make! Together we can make the change we want to see in this world, but first we have to be able to “see” it, so please consider helping us in making the world finally See Our Truths!
______________________________________________
Budgeting:
*Costs for Film Day (Film Day=Two Episodes)
$50- Snack Kit for Film Day
$150- Meal Kit for Film Day
$320-$500- Studio Space for Film Day
$1,600- Photography/Video/Production/Editing
$8,000- Recoupment of Out-of-Pocket Investments
$10,00- Consultation & Advisement towards Reformative and Transformative Justice
$30,000- Total Projected Cost for Film Production through September
Note: As the movement continues to develop and make actionable steps towards our current mission we will be updating the budgeting so you know exactly where your support went! So please continue to check back as you continue to support. Obviously this movement is dedicated to transparency and truth and we will demonstrate that in our budgeting plan as well. (Last updated: 8/25/20)
Organizer
Alex Sanders
Organizer
New York, NY
