"See Our Truths": BIPOC students expose systemic racism within Pace University's musical theatre program
It started with a question posed within a private Facebook group for musical theatre students at Pace University on May 31st, “why is it that we have not heard any words of support in regards to the Black Lives Matter protests that have been happening around the country?”
Within days, that thread exploded among the students, both current and alums, that included not only more questions but also students sharing their own racist experiences within the program.
Now, thanks to the campaign “See Our Truths”, current and former black students are coming forward with their stories of how they had to endure multiple instances of racism during their time at Pace, much of it coming from the head of the MT program, Amy Rogers, and her assistant JV Mercanti.
Representatives behind the campaign drafted a letter of demands which includes firing both Rogers and Mercanti, implementing mandatory diversity & inclusion training for teachers/staff/students, and reimbursing the tuition for all BIPOC students/alumni due to the “failure to educate as advertised and promised.”
Officials at Pace responded by saying,
“We recognize that many of the problems identified are systemic ones, not just specific or isolated instances. We are committed to making systemic change.”
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Pace alum Alex Sanders posted a statement in the private Facebook stating that he had experienced discrimination and racism during his time in the program from 2012-2016. He included a letter written to Rogers in 2015 which detailed the incidents and a call for change. Sanders stated little to nothing was done after his letter was received.
As students reacted to Sanders’ post and shared their own experiences, both Rogers and Mercanti stated they wanted to issue apologies. According to Sanders, those apologies never came.
On June 3rd, Rogers announced she would be taking a social media break due to the mounting list of testimonies coming from students.
According to students, on a Zoom call on July 13th, Rogers and Mercanti stated that they were working with the university’s Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Office to develop anti-racism plans and that they were investigating the testimonies. However, when reached just days later, the office claimed to students that they knew nothing about the testimonies and that no investigation had been started.
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On August 3rd, Sanders launched the “See Our Truths” campaign on social media. The video series, so far, includes six current and former Pace students discussing the instances of racism and discrimination they experienced at Pace and how Rogers and Mercanti were responsible for the culture there.
I’m not going to quote or list any of what’s being said in this article. Instead, I’m going to post the videos for you to see because these students deserve to be heard completely, not paraphrased. Here they are.
There were hard to watch.
The campaign has also posted a list of actions they would like to see the school implement. Here it is. Please read the whole post.
When asked for comment, representatives at Pace sent us the following statement:
“Pace University has a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination. Whenever we receive a discrimination complaint, we thoroughly investigate and take remedial action if warranted by the findings. This is consistent both with our legal obligations and our belief in fair process for all. If any current students or former students believe that they have been subjected to discriminatory treatment in our Performing Arts Program or any other program or service provided by the University, we will investigate if they provide the details of their allegations to our Institutional Equity Officer and Title IX Coordinator, who is the University Officer authorized to initiate investigations under our discrimination policies. Equity in all of our programs is central to the mission of Pace to create an open and inclusive environment for all of our students.”
However, a letter sent to students on Aug 30th goes into more detail of how the school will respond to the students. The letter includes,
“A group of our Musical Theater alumni has organized a campaign calling for changes and actions to better the student experience within PPA for all our students, especially those who are Black, indigenous, or people of color. We are grateful for their moving stories and for their bravery in sharing their experiences and we are hopeful that we can work together to heal the pain in our community.”
“We are committed to addressing their concerns and to creating a safe and supportive learning community. The challenges ahead may be hard, but they are not insurmountable. We want to thank them—and all of you—for challenging Pace Performing Arts to do and be better.”
“PPA has implemented a new required course for all incoming first year students, “The History of Equity and Diversity in the Entertainment Industry.” We will expand this course offering to all students in PPA and University-wide this spring, including an honors section. We are also committed to examining the curricula and all content within the eight PPA majors in order to address these issues in a more comprehensive and inclusive way.” “
We recognize that leadership plays an important role in setting the tone of a program, and we will be launching a national search for a new Program Head of Musical Theater. We are actively recruiting a new Assistant Dean for Diversity and Equity in the Arts. We are convening a committee of faculty, staff and students that will explore best practices for casting. We aim to ensure equity and inclusion with regard to casting and providing opportunities for all our performing arts students, discarding traditional and historical casting practices”
The whole letter can be found here. While the letter mentions that the school will be searching for a new Head of Musical Theater, it is unknown at this time if Rogers, as well as Mercanti, has been dismissed from their positions.
This is a developing story and we will update as new information becomes available.