This is what we need to say:
Dear Council member ( Enter Name),
I am writing in regards to The Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center.
I am asking as a citizen and a voter of the City of Seattle that as you deliberate on the 2013 budget, you:
1. Support full funding for The Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center (LHPAC) in the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs (OACA).
2. Not support another study or support a stakeholder's group to advise on, review or oversee the operations of Langston Hughes. The leadership at Langston Hughes is unparalleled in their qualifications to execute the mission of the LHPAC to the benefit of this TOTAL community.
3. The admissions tax funding is the correct funding source for LHPAC and should be continued.
Send each council member their own message. Send to:
When I am asked why, I say the following. I am tired of my culture and my art not being
included, respected or treated as an equal as any culture's art. Further, I am highly incensed that the comments
and actions from key staff, as reported by the Seattle Times, seemed to go out
of their way to imply that my art is NOT AS GOOD AS THEIR ART!
The Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center (LHPAC)
is more than just a physical facility. To a large number of us, it is a symbol
that represents the spirituality and culture of a people that called the
Central Area home for decades.
The Central Area became the center for art,
commerce, education and religion for many of us who lived and still live here.
The Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center building is one of the last
remaining structures in this community that represents the cultural aspirations
of many people who were the heart and soul of Seattle itself. The building is
also a symbol to those who deeply feel the need to fight for the preservation
for that which is left of the physical presence of the history and art of the
Central Area Community. It is hoped that the City Council also understands this
and realizes the importance of this great facility and the significance the
LHPAC vision and mission have to the Seattle community as a whole.
Paul - Thanks for weighing in. I concur. 1) Full funding is what Mayor McGinn committed the City to and that already made news. 2)There is also no need for yet another study or report.
ReplyDeleteBest regards,
Art Johnson
long-term volunteer and community supporter of all the amazingly good things the LHPAC has been able to do over the years.