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My fellowship contract expired today.
To say nothing about the abuses I witnessed would be ethically bankrupt.
I can corroborate everything that happened in this article to my friend Naima, and many others who are unable/unwilling to speak on record. http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/trouble-is-brewing-at-the-tulsa-artist-fellowship
To say nothing about the abuses I witnessed would be ethically bankrupt.
I can corroborate everything that happened in this article to my friend Naima, and many others who are unable/unwilling to speak on record. http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/trouble-is-brewing-at-the-tulsa-artist-fellowship
This is a more in-depth look at the insidious forces at play in Tulsa, and at play in the Fellowship. I can corroborate the section on the program here as well. https://medium.com/@michaelpaulmason/the-kaiser-system-e8c14bca395
I came to the program because I was broke, with ambitious projects lined up, and the promises seemed almost too good to be true. It is.
I'm speaking out of a moral obligation to protect other arts workers (especially queer and/or Black arts workers) from entering a hostile work environment that prioritizes white fragility and ego over transparency, Fellow safety, and basic competence.
I am not speaking as someone who ever became a direct target.
I am speaking as the friend of many others who were not as lucky. I saw it happen. Over and over.
I never want another arts worker to go through what my friends have gone through.
I am speaking as the friend of many others who were not as lucky. I saw it happen. Over and over.
I never want another arts worker to go through what my friends have gone through.
CW// Assault
There are many others who see what is going on and know that it is wrong. I would know. I authored a community letter of support for Naima after her assault earlier in the year, signed by over 30 Fellows past and present.
There are many others who see what is going on and know that it is wrong. I would know. I authored a community letter of support for Naima after her assault earlier in the year, signed by over 30 Fellows past and present.
Others did not sign. I can only assume that much of it is tied to financial/career opportunities in the program that can persuade people to look the other way in the face of blatant anti-blackness. It is easier to stay quiet, take funding and let vocal Black people take the fall.
(It's infuriating when I think back and realize that this long, drawn out conflict really only started when Naima spoke up during an information session to address the elephant in the room: we all were getting very little information on the topic of the information session.)
(But simply pointing out that fact was painted as a direct personal attack by the director, which required swift intervention. By way of mandatory meetings and mediations with said director.)
White fragility will doom us all. Course correct now.
White fragility will doom us all. Course correct now.
I've written many tweets, all just to say one thing:
Do not dare fix your mouth, or your organization's mouth to say "Black Lives Matter" if you are too intimidated by Black Competence to listen, learn, and genuinely work to be better when you are hearing it from Black people.
Do not dare fix your mouth, or your organization's mouth to say "Black Lives Matter" if you are too intimidated by Black Competence to listen, learn, and genuinely work to be better when you are hearing it from Black people.
If you are interested in supporting Naima's new and utterly amazing artistic business ventures, please browse her site and store!: https://www.trialanderror.art/
