Dear Members and Friends of the MAR-AMTA,
The Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association decries the assault on our country’s democracy that took place inside our nation’s Capitol on January 6, 2021. The violent storming by mostly white rioters is an act that we wholeheartedly reject, as a community of music therapy clinicians, educators, supervisors, and students dedicated to upholding our values of basic human dignity and respect.
We recognize that these events may be ongoing. We are appalled by the discrepancies of the response of law enforcement to acts of terrorism, as compared with the force displayed toward protesters for Black Lives Matter last summer, highlighting systemic oppression and an upholding of white supremacist structures. Peaceful gathering is a constitutional right that must be protected; but these actions were meant to disrupt the orderly transfer of power according to the will of millions of Americans, and are an affront to our democratic institutions.
We thank the CHADI committee for the following resource, which may be helpful in navigating conversations about these events and their societal context: https://beyondthestoplight.com/2021/01/06/resources-for-teachers-on-the-days-after-the-attack-on-the-u-s-capitol/?fbclid=IwAR0DnuLbIjt4kacT9YYUPcjTRdl_isf2DNtLWEA5l-t3BgqPjZnnBK1Jj_w
We stand ready to support you if you are affected by these events. If you need support, please contact Beth Deyermond at president@maramta.org or Clarissa Lacson at vpmembership@maramta.org. We can offer resources within the American Music Therapy Association and the Mid-Atlantic Region, as well as connect you to professionals within our association who can provide assistance.
Sincerely,
Clarissa Lacson, Vice President of Membership of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the AMTA
Beth Deyermond, President of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the AMTA
MAR-AMTA Executive Board Members