A Statement from RS Artistic and Executive Director Erinn Liebhard on
the State of Minneapolis-St. Paul
Perhaps you’ve noticed we haven’t said much about the violent ICE presence terrorizing our cities (and beyond). I hope that you have not taken this as a lack of engagement, care or action. I can speak for everyone involved in RS when I say that we are all engaged, care deeply and are all taking various on-the-ground and out-of-the-pocketbook actions to be the helpers Mr. Rogers had always told people to look for in dark times. Outside of our publicizing a discount for Community Organizers for our upcoming show at the Ordway, I have refrained from making statements and sharing resources in relation to ICE violence in the name of Rhythmically Speaking because I have hesitated to speak for everyone involved with us or add noise to already chaotic spheres of communication. It is already hard enough to pick through all the information coming at us to determine which of it is credible and truly helpful. I have hoped that our 18 year track-record of socially-conscious, joy and humanity-centering artmaking would make obvious where we stand.
That said, I recognize that carefully crafted messages from organizations one respects can provide light within darkness, so if that holds true for you and you are still/ reading, I can say with confidence, on behalf of everyone involved with us, that Rhythmically Speaking unequivocally condemns the harmful and unjust actions with which ICE has been terrorizing our communities, and stands with everyone who says “ICE OUT.” NOW. Yesterday. December 1st, which is when ‘Operation Metro Surge’ officially began.
As for where our purpose as an organization is within all this: the forms we work in – jazz and jazz-related dance and music styles – were born out of responses to systemic oppression as tools of resistance. It is in this spirit, and in the spirit of creating and sharing in human joy, that we continue to dance for ourselves, with each other, and for you.
This seems like an apt opportunity to issue a reminder that we are offering discounted tickets to the Community Organizers out there helping keep our community safe and engaged: DM us privately on Instagram or Facebook with your organization name/ what you’ve been doing, and we’ll send you a discount code for our upcoming show Reppin’: Past Moves, New Grooves (at the Ordway Concert Hall 2/12 at 7:30pm). Know that we are in conversation with the venue about public safety.
To our fellow Twin Cities and Minnesota people: don’t back down. Let’s keep observing, keep donating, keep boycotting, keep protesting, keep organizing grassroots mutual aid. To our out-of-town friends, we urge you to call your representatives and tell them how you feel about the way ICE is operating, and to donate to MN causes if you can. Below is a carefully-curated list of organizations who could use whatever money you have to spare. If you’ve gotten to this part of the message, thanks for reading all the way through. Wherever your worldviews fall, I encourage you to remain in conversation with us. Thanks for your care, for what we do in specific, and for your fellow humans in general. We love and appreciate you.
Big Love breaking through the darkness,
Erinn
Where to Donate to Support the Twin Cities:
The ‘Choose your Mood (or Moods)’ Version:
- Litigious – Immigrant Law Center of MN: providing assistance to hundreds of people with families detained by ICE
- Defensive – Monarcha: Leading Constitutional Observer trainings and receiving and redistributing alerts about ICE incidents in real time one behalf of observers
- Protective – Safe Haven MN: Purchases supplies people need when they are dumped back into the MN cold after detainment, and ensures their safety and connection to family
- Feisty – Indigenous Protector Movement: Right up in their faces
- Connected – Unidos MN: Has a big hand in organizing mass peaceful protests
- Indecisive – Immigrant Rapid Response Fund: A fund assembled by a coalition of Twin Cities Foundations committed to getting assistance out the door as quickly as possible to various organizations providing response, care and protection
Make one big one, make several small ones, make one small one, make several big ones – choose your own adventure. If you wish to dig deeper, check out Stand with Minnesota and the Mpls Mutual Aid LinkTree.
Rhythmically Speaking 