Whether our doors are open or closed, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive is a space for community. And right now, our community is wracked with pain as we bear witness to the racist murders of recent weeks. Our grief is compounded by the ravages of an ongoing global pandemic whose effects have fallen disproportionately on those who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and those who are economically disadvantaged. BAMPFA stands in solidarity with the voices in our community who are calling for justice in the face of these atrocities. Black Lives Matter.

In memory of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and all those whose lives have been cut short by acts of racism: we speak your names, honor your memories, and commit ourselves to building a more just and equitable world.

BAMPFA is part of Berkeley and the University of California campus community and shares in their enduring traditions of political activism, social justice, and free speech. At the same time, we know that no community is free of systemic racism, and that museums have often been complicit in the marginalization of Black voices. As we join our community in sharing the grief and outrage over recent events, we dedicate ourselves to overcoming this long-standing historical legacy.