Berkeley Morris is committed to fostering an inclusive, welcoming environment. Morris dance, like many institutions with histories spanning centuries, has sometimes preserved racist and sexist practices in the name of upholding tradition. While individuals dance morris for many reasons, we collectively reject any obligation to uphold harmful aspects of the tradition and are committed to dismantling them:
- We welcome people of all genders, orientations, and ethnicities.
- Though morris is an English tradition, there are, and have been, plenty of non-white folks in Britain. We acknowledge that morris has been historically full of white guys, but we are committed to making our space welcoming and comfortable for anyone interested in participating. We are further committed to working within our community to advance the ideals of racial justice.
- We do not use historical racist dance terminology while calling our own dances, and we advocate for its general abolition in the wider morris world.
- We condemn, in the strongest terms, the use of blackface in morris—whatever its origins. People of good intent can find alternatives that don’t perpetuate harm.
- We welcome different perspectives, but intolerance is not a perspective. Attitudes that have the effect of causing exclusion are not welcome.
Morris is a living tradition. Living traditions adapt. Traditions that don’t adapt won’t be living for long.
Co-signed:
Kitchen Sink Molly, AKA Mrs Prunely’s Pride