Hi Friend,

Kindling Group stands in solidarity with the monumental nationwide protest movement against police brutality and racism, sparked by the murders of George Floyd and many other black men and women. Dehumanization, mass incarceration, inaccessible healthcare, voter suppression and the consequences of the overall imbalance in power and equity in our nation have, for far too long, fallen heavily on our black and brown communities. This must change, and it will change if we demand this forcefully.

While Kindling is a secular non-profit, I was raised in a religious home and in these moments I can’t help but go back to an idea in Genesis that has shaped me: “God created humans in God’s own image.” In our most basic design and soul, ALL of us share this divinity, this sacredness. And yet, time and again (and again), we debase, abuse, other and demean.  Clearly, the passive act of being created in God’s image is not enough. Especially as a white man, it’s not enough to say “we are equal.” We must push ourselves to actively recognize the divine in each other and in every interaction — and to act accordingly. This is a profound moral imperative and, as a legacy white organization, we are keenly aware of our responsibility to act on it.

We commit to do better— to engage in combating racism within ourselves and our organization, to support and hire filmmakers of color, and to encourage funders, partners and colleagues to support their projects and to continue to produce content that highlights issues of injustice and create strategies to leverage this content for real change.  If you can, please support Chicago-based organizations who are doing this work in media — BYP100 and Mezcla Media Collective — and more generally in combating racism — My Block, My Hood, My City, and Showing Up for Racial Justice. 

Finally, the daily fear, anger and injustice facing communities of color are front and center and have propelled the broadest protests in U.S. history, even while COVID-19 rages and the economy is in crisis. As we march, watch and advocate, our heart swells with hope that a sustained, interracial resistance movement is being born, and the long and hard work of bringing justice for all is beginning.

In solidarity,
Danny Alpert
Executive Director