The Kennedy Center Dims the Lights for Nine Nights to Honor George Floyd

From the Kennedy Center:

“As announced yesterday, beginning Tuesday, June 2, the Kennedy Center’s lights that normally illuminate the Center will be dimmed for nine nights in honor of George Floyd, marking the final nine minutes of his life.

We take a stand for George Floyd and for so many others who have lost their lives as a result of racial violence and bigotry.

Dimming the lights is a symbol. It is not the solution.

Ours is an expression of America’s grief and our solidarity with our Black audiences, artists, colleagues, and community.

Black lives matter. Black voices matter. Black culture matters. Black stories matter. We pledge that more of them will be heard on the stages of the nation’s cultural center, as we continue in our ongoing effort to reflect the entire nation through the performing arts and within our organization.

We know we can do better–through the art we present on our stages and by ensuring that the Center is always a home for critical conversations about race and discrimination. We are preparing strategies to be in greater service of Black artists, audiences, and communities. We will be sharing those initiatives in the coming weeks and hold ourselves accountable to all of you.”