Our commitments:
The Sebastopol Community Cultural Center recognizes that we as a nation are bearing witness to a historic pursuit of justice. We also find ourselves confronted with the truth of systemic racism laid bare; Black Americans have experienced a violent status quo for centuries and we understand that each of us has work to do to commit to the fight for racial equity in the long term. SCCC affirms that Black Lives Matter and intends to continue this affirmation in both words and actions. 

As a community organization, we understand the vital power of safe, comfortable, welcoming spaces, and in that spirit we make the following commitments toward racial justice:

Education: The Board commits to completing an anti-racist curriculum to learn more about the aims of the Black Lives Matter movement and to unlearn the biases that each of us holds that are antithetical to justice and equity. We invite each member of the Sebastopol community to join us in this educational pursuit and have listed resources to do so below.

Collaboration: We commit to investing time, energy, and resources in a range of diverse community organizations to help further their work and to guide our efforts to reevaluate our own practices.

Diversification: We pledge to incorporate a more diverse representation of our community to be reflected in the Board, staff, and all those who contribute to making SCCC a safe and welcoming place.

Support: We have partnered with members of the Sebastopol business community to develop a list of Black-owned businesses to support at this time, which is also available below.

Commitment: We pledge to revisit our plans, policies, and progress every three months with the understanding that antiracism is a long-term project that must be integrated into our every act.

Black Lives Matter Resources

We are working diligently on compiling an accurate and thorough list of local Black-owned businesses, and are aiming to have it ready within the coming week. We appreciate your patience and please check back again soon. (Why is supporting Black-owned business important?)
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SCCC board and staff are utilizing the following resources to better understand systemic racism in America, we invite you to join our learning and unlearning efforts:
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Justice in June: A month-long anti-racism curriculum of books, podcasts, and articles.

The Guardian: "Do the work: an anti-racist reading list"

The Guardian: "‘No reader is too young to start’: anti-racist books for all children and teens"

Medium: "75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice"

Consider supporting groups in our area doing work that substantively supports the Black community and antiracism: Black Lives Matter Bay Area, Showing Up for Racial Justice Bay Area, Anti-Police Terror Project, 100 Black Men of Sonoma County, North Bay Black Chamber of Commerce, North Bay Organizing Project, the Lime Foundation.