Black Lives Matter

The Board of the Silent Film Sound and Music Archive condemns the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and far too many other Black people. We stand with communities that have been subjected to violence and discrimination. SFSMA acknowledges that many of its holdings were created in support of white supremacy and bigotry and that racism is endemic in early film and its music, and that the disciplines that study these materials have engaged in perpetuating white supremacy. We support Black Lives Matter, and we ask those who use our Archive to consider and reflect on the legacy of racism in early film. As a Board and as individuals, we are committed to taking anti-racist actions that will help create a more equitable world.