be antiracist

Resources & Ways to Get Involved

Black Lives Matter. AAPI Lives Matter. At Oregon Children’s Theatre, we acknowledge that our industry has engaged in racist behavior, language and casting practices. We strive to do better. One step in our journey is to leverage our position as an educational institution to serve as a resource hub for local and national anti-racist tools and best practices for our community. We humbly ask you—our families, patrons, and stakeholders—to hold us accountable for being a safe space for all children and adults that practices anti-racism in everything we do. Thank you for your partnership as we continue to imagine, learn and grow.

Our Equity & Antiracism Statement

Racism is not a trait of a few individuals, it is in our environment. It is hard to see when it is happening all around us, but the truth is we are all affected by institutional racism. Racism includes ideas, rules, and behaviors that hurt people of color, regardless of intentions. We have all been living with it for as long as we’ve existed.   

For over thirty years, Oregon Children’s Theatre has engaged with the hearts, minds, and imaginations of communities through theatre, both on stage and in the classroom. One of OCT’s core values is that everyone has an opportunity to create and learn through the arts. We aim for people to see themselves represented in the stories we tell, the work we do, and who we are.

We acknowledge that our organization has historically centered the stories, culture and perspectives of white people. Our company has not done enough to empower communities of color—communities that have been socially, politically, and economically excluded. We are determined to change that. 

As a company at the intersection of art, education, and youth, we play a distinct role in the lives of the next generation of changemakers. We believe in the youth of today. We will do our part to provide them with the stage they need to build the world of tomorrow on their own terms. We challenge ourselves to mirror the values we embrace with our students – be brave, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and work together with an open heart. We embrace our responsibility to be an organization that is equitable and inclusive, which means centering different perspectives and allowing those perspectives to shape and change organizational culture and practice. This is a lifelong commitment to learn, evolve, and openly confront racism in all its forms so that we can be an organization where all people thrive.

Anti-Racism resources

    • Black Lives Matter Instructional Library (includes read-alouds)

    • 30+ Books to Educate Kids and Teens About Race

    • PBS Kids: Children’s Books That Celebrate Diversity

    • Children’s Books that Discuss Race & Racism (Kindergarten)

    • Anti-Racism For Kids 101: Starting To Talk About Race

    • 21 Children’s Books To Spark Important Discussions About Race + Tolerance

    • PBS Kids: How to Use Children’s Books to Talk About Race and Racism

    • Digital books, audiobooks and videos about race and racism for teens from Multnomah County Library

    • Digital books, audiobooks and videos about race and racism for kids from Multnomah County Library

    • Children’s Books That Prompt the Conversations of Race + Racism

    • Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List

    • Educational Theatre Program’s read-aloud series “Building Character”

    • CNN/Sesame Street Town Hall (June 6, 2020)

    • Sesame Workshop: “The Power of We”

    • A Kids Play About Racism (free for educators)

  • Black History Month (February)

    • Brand New Day Free, educational lesson plans for Black History Month

    • 25 Children’s Books To Celebrate Black History Month

    Juneteenth

    • Juneteenth | Blackademics: This is a 3-min TED Talk style video features two teenage twin sisters discussing the holiday and its significance to the African American community.They also point to this resource from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture as good follow-up reading.

    • Juneteenth | All About the Holidays Designed for elementary aged students, this video has been field-tested and fact-checked with experts to make it both factually accurate and kid-friendly.

    • Juneteenth | National Museum of African American History & Culture This website features a collection of virtual stories, articles, videos, and much more, covering the cultural significance of the Juneteenth holiday. Educators can also find resource guides for teaching Juneteenth to early elementary students and secondary students.

    • Juneteenth for Mazie a read-aloud video of Floyd Cooper’s children’s book about celebration of Juneteenth, the Emancipation Proclamation, and African-American history.

    • All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom a read-aloud video of Angela Johnson’s best-selling children’s book about the first Juneteenth.

    • BrainPOP: What is Juneteenth and Why Do We Celebrate? Popular with families and educators alike, BrainPOP explains the history of Juneteenth and how it is celebrated today. BrainPOP has also created a Juneteenth Resource Page, which includes extension activities and related discussion topics.

    • How to Talk to Children about Juneteenth University of Pittsburgh historian Alaina Roberts provides families with guidance about how to teach young children about this important holiday.

    • “One Woman's Decades-Long Fight To Make Juneteenth A U.S. Holiday” this article from NPR introduces Opal Lee, also known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” and the effort to make Juneteenth a federally-recognized holiday.

    • We See You White American Theater

    • Unite Oregon

    • Portland African American Leadership Forum (PAALF) “The People’s Plan.”

    • Coalition of Communities of Color: an open letter to community

    • Office of Equity and Human Rights, City of Portland: Promising Practices in Government to Advance Racial Equity

    • Reimagine Oregon Demands

    • Black Lives Matter

    • NAACP Legal Defense Fund

    • American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

    • Black Resilience Fund

    • Urban League of Portland

    • The Conscious Kid

    • Oregon Justice Resource Center

    • The Portland African American Leadership Forum

    • Community Alliance of Lane County

    • Don’t Shoot PDX

    • Stop AAPI Hate

    • Rose City Justice

    • I Will Vote

    • Rock the Vote

    • Let’s Save America

    • The Children’s Art & Social Justice Council (CASJC) Youth ARTivism with Don’t Shoot PDX

    • Equal Justice Initiative – A History of Racial Justice

    • How to talk to your kids about police violence