Workshops, Courses, Events, Empowerment
14 June
John
Most people record their political rants in their cars. Here at Broadkill Writers Resort we record our musings on the roof.
It's been 11 days since making this video, but we wanted to ensure everything was in place before going public with these announcements.
Please watch the video and find more information below, or if you dislike video and just want the cheat sheet condensed version skip ahead to the text below.
First and foremost, as a black co-owned/co-founded company we feel we cannot let the current state of the USA go unaddressed.
Yes, for those of you following us on other social media platforms, you've seen all the hype and lead-up to launching our first wave of online education experiences, from spending weeks surveying our audience about what they want, to the promo videos, waitlist signup, website launch, and series of blog posts.
You probably also noticed that just as we opened the doors to our online programs intended to give those in COVID-19 lockdown career advancement opportunities…the nation entered a social awareness renaissance.
For once everybody seems to be on board across race, class, gender, and international boundaries. Over the years I've given up on believing anything will come of African American suffering penetrating mainstream consciousness but this time feels, and thus far is, entirely different.
Those of you who follow my own personal social media accounts have probably been seeing some of the painful revelations from my own past which, while I've increased my focus on them in the past couple weeks, I've been very public about since 2014 in an effort to use my platform for increasing public awareness around racial discrimination and violence.
I've shared just a portion of my thoughts on the matter recently in the Broadkill Writers Resort blog. To sum them up with quotes from the blogs:
"All arts are considered at one time or another subversive. All individual expression is dangerous to a status quo meant to serve only a few select individuals.
Whatever your song is, whatever contribution you have, whatever creation unique to you that can be brought forth…do it.
Sing it.
Bring it.
Because nobody but you can."
AND:
"Make no mistake, we're seeing progress being made. But also understand: while a knee moved from the neck to the chest is an improvement it still suffocates you, just more slowly. What I keep emphasizing to my son is that we're in for a long struggle.
It's not about what happens now, it's about what happens next. And then after that. This is generations of work in the making. Beyond reimagining policing and holding those who are responsible for decades of criminal behavior accountable, we need to reimagine ourselves."
Accountability isn't just for bad actors in our society, though, and our failure to realize that is a major contributor to the problems we face. We all need to contribute to the solution, to rebuilding, to restructuring, to sustain ourselves and the communities that make our existence possible.
In order to support the communities Broadkill Writers Resort and its sibling companies are based in we will immediately institute the following changes:
1) 25% of the money we receive from selling our products, tickets, or rentals through BroadkillResort.com (gross income, not net or after expenses) will be donated to charity. We have researched charities in our area and feel the following have both the missions and track record to help sustain the community while people are dealing with massive job insecurity, illness, and death in the family due to COVID-19 and also injury, property loss, legal fees, and job insecurity due to the current social unrest:
10%
Organization: Food Bank of Delaware
Mission: Providing food assistance to Delawareans
Trust: 90.05 of 100 rating at Charity Navigator
More info: https://www.fbd.org/
Trust: 90.05 of 100 rating at Charity Navigator
More info: https://www.fbd.org/
10%
Organization: Fuel Fund of Maryland
Mission: Covering utility costs for those who need electricity and heating
Rating: 93.25 of 100 at Charity Navigator
More info: https://fuelfundmaryland.org/
5%
Organization: Diverse Writers and Artists of Speculative Fiction
Mission: Community outreach, education about, and resources for writers and artists of color
Rating: I serve as the Vice President and am a bit biased
More info: Our old website is down with a new one under construction, but you can find information about us through any of the organizations we've held workshops for
2) Although our online education prices are just introductory pricing that will increase we're permanently reducing the cost 25%. Untold resources have been wiped out and the nation still has yet to get a clear picture of the financial impact. I used to choose between not having lunch or being able to buy books and music when I was young. I went without lunch, but don't want that for you.
As stated in the video that adds up to 50% of our income through the BWR site. We fully intend to do more, though. Watch for announcements about scholarships, fundraisers, and our pay-what-you-want empowerment training, and more.
In the meantime be well and be safe.
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