Acknowledgement of Jazz as a Black Cultural Artform
We here at Camp Hollywood are privileged to be able to present to you each year top notch live music and dance instruction from the wonderful tradition of Jazz music and dance, which are expressions of Black culture and the Black American experience. And it is the memories and legacies of these largely Black musicians and dancers that we try to carry on and honor as we present them for you.
In America, we often love Black culture without loving the people who created it. To fail to acknowledge the past is to render invisible the people from whom these art forms were borne. To engage in Swing Music and Swing Dance is to celebrate Black communities, Black culture, and Black art. Black Lives Matter.
Statement of Inclusion
At Camp Hollywood we are committed to creating a culture safe for all who choose to participate. We are doing this through our commitment to increasing diversity in all of our participants including our staff, volunteers, and attendees. We strive to be an environment that welcomes and celebrates diverse perspectives and honors everyone’s humanity. In so doing, we are committed to dismantling oppressive structures, remembering that a critical component of this effort involves acknowledging, celebrating and lifting up the communities that provided us with these cultural art forms.
This is an imperfect journey. Nevertheless, we are committed to the process of learning, unlearning, and relearning for the sake of greater inclusion and safety of all our participants. Together, we create art and collectively foster a sense of belonging in order for all participants to show up as their authentic selves.
Thank you to the wonderful Chisomo Selemani for working with us to create this statement.