We, the undersigned members of the staff and faculty of the University of Puget Sound School of Music, reaffirm this fact in January 2022, and voice our support for this movement. 

As Black people continue disproportionately to face injustice and inequity in the United States, we reaffirm our ongoing commitment to recognizing and uprooting the racist attitudes and practices that have long underpinned formal music study in this country, including in our own program.

We understand that music making is not a neutral act. We strive to think critically about the cultural values that have shaped the sounds we study, create, and perform. We seek, by continually reflecting on our programming and curricula to make the School of Music a more welcoming and inclusive space for all. 

We recognize the reach, and therefore the responsibility, that our public-facing concerts, lectures, and streamed events afford us. We believe that a School of Music must serve and support not only its students, but its local and extended communities. 

  1. In recognition that our program has not always been attentive to who is included or excluded, we commit to shifting our culture so that it is not remarkable but expected that our performances and our classes should affirm and celebrate Black creativity.
  2. In recognition that the effort to welcome diverse racial identities on our faculty is still a work in progress, we commit to animating our programming and curriculum by funding residencies by Black musical artists and thought leaders every semester.
  3. In recognition that there are barriers to access for some young Black musicians, we commit to establishing concrete ways to provide financial support for local Black students to achieve their musical goals.

Alistair MacRae
Ameera Nimjee
Anna Wittstruck
David Krosschell
Dawn Padula
Emily Johnson
Francine Floyd-Peterson
Gwynne Brown
Gerard Morris
Greg Hearns
Jeffery Lund
Jennifer Nelson
Jessica Hall
Joyce Ramee
Judson Scott
Judy Herrington
Kathryn Lehman
Kim Davenport
Kristen Murphy
Maria Sampen
Pam Taylor
Rob Hutchinson
Steven Zopfi
Tina Huynh
Tracy Doyle
Wyatt Smith