Aluna Theatre Stands in Solidarity

Aluna Theatre and its team stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. We condemn the systemic anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism and violence in Canada, the United States and across the Americas.

As a group of Latinx and Canadian artists, we acknowledge the racism and classism that prevails in our cultures.

We continue to work to face these challenges through our artistic productions, the artists and communities we engage with, the stories we bring on to the stage, the opportunities we create for professional development, and our community gatherings and knowledge sharing circles.

We are inspired by the question of how we live together with all our differences. We continue to envision a TransAmerican community that respects, celebrates and elevates all peoples across the continent. We do not tolerate racism.

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We will keep this space active by sharing the work of artists identifying as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour, who are inspiring us as we work toward the future:

Victoria Santa Cruz (1922-2014) is considered the Mother of Afro-Peruvian dance and theatre. isi bhakomen, Afro-Latinx multi-disciplinary artist and one of our recent podcast guests, talked about the power of this poem in a recent MERENDIANDO episode.

They Shouted Black at Me by Victoria Santa Cruz

I was just seven years old
Just seven years old
What seven years old!
I wasn’t even five!

Suddenly some voices on the street
They shouted at me, Black!
Black! Black! Black! Black! Black!
Black! Black!

“Am I Black?” – I told myself, Yes!
“What is to be a Black?” Black!
And I didn’t know the sad truth
that it hid. Black!

And I felt black, Black!
As they said, Black!
I jumped back, Black!
Just as they wanted, Black!
And I hated my hair and my thick lips
And I saw with sadness my toasted skin
I jumped back, Black!
I jumped back…

Black! Black! Black! Black!
Black! Black! Black! Black!
Black! Black! Black! Black!
Black! Black! Black! Black! Black!

And the time went by,
and I always so bitter
I continued to carry my heavy burden
on my back,
And how it weighed! …
I smoothed my hair,
I put powder on my face,
And through my hair always resounded
the same word
Black! Black! Black! Black!
Black! Black! Blaaack!

Until one day when I jumped back,
I jumped back and was about to fall
Black! Black! Black! Black! Black!
Black! Black! Black! Black! Black!

So what? So what? Black!
Black! Yes
Black! I’m
Black! Black
Black! I’m Black

From now on I don’t want
to smooth my hair
And I’ll laugh at those who
To prevent – they said –
To prevent some conflict
They call black people ‘people of color’

And what a color! BLACK
And how good it sounds! BLACK
What a rhythm it has!

BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK
BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK
BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK
BLACK BLACK BLACK

Finally!
I finally realized FINALLY
I don’t step back anymore FINALLY
I walk sure FINALLY
I walk and hope FINALLY
And I bless the heavens because God wanted
jet black to be my colour

And I understood FINALLY
That I have the key

BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK
BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK
BLACK BLACK BLACK BLACK
BLACK BLACK BLACK

I’m Black!

(translated from the original Spanish)