Ashland, Ore. — As the Black Lives Matter movement grows the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is showing their support.
“We felt like we couldn’t do anything other than raise our voices, speak out for our colleagues of color, and say black lives matter,” Associate Director of Communications Eddie Wallace said.
Wallace said as a theater company they don’t shy away from social issues. And with a diverse group of actors and staff this is one they feel strongly about.
Community members are noticing. A Black Lives Matter flag flies high over the Elizabethan Theatre, and signs and a memorial in the heart of their campus campaign against violence toward black people.
Wallace said in recent weeks threats have been made against two of their own, making it hard to stay quiet.
“A gentleman was sitting on the bricks and told a black woman on our staff that he wanted to kill her,” Wallace said.
Wallace said they reported the incident to the Ashland Police Department. In late June OSF actor Christiana Clark gained attention on social media after recounting a disturbing experience she had downtown. Clark said a man shouted racially charged threats at her while she was walking her dog in Ashland’s Railroad District.
Wallace said those events followed by recent shootings by police of African American men and the ambush of police in Dallas fueled their desire to speak up.
“Our brothers and sisters of color are not getting the message that their lives do matter. And so when we’re truly able to say all lives matter that would be a wonderful thing, but right now we need to stand up and say black lives matter,” said Wallace.
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