Inclusion & Antiracism

The Board of Pinewoods Camp is committed to antiracist beliefs and practices. White supremacy and white nationalism have no place at Pinewoods. Black lives matter.

 

Racism in our region began over 400 years ago when Europeans first came to Wampanoag territory, and systemic racism continues to negatively impact Black, Indigenous, and other people of color in the local Plymouth community and across the country. Pinewoods Camp, Inc. serves the physical place and environment on which our facilities sit, but Pinewoods is also part of the larger complex cultural history. We commit to study that history and acknowledge systemic bias in our business practices and our relationship to traditional music and dance. It is our intent to provide a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.

Pinewoods Camp, Inc. (PCI)  is taking these steps to combat systemic bias. This list will be updated periodically. (Updated May 2022) 

  • In 2020 the PCI board worked with our investment advisor to ensure that the funds we have in reserve are held in fiscally sound investments with companies with a strong commitment to diversity, antiracism, and environmental protections.

  • We are expanding our network of professional service providers, vendors, and contractors to include additional minority owned businesses.

  • The board is learning about the Wampanoag Nation, past and present. An article was posted in the Winter 2020-2021 Pinewoods Post with an invitation for the entire Pinewoods community to join us. During the PCI board retreat in November 2021, the board met for half a day with Jonathan James-Perry and Leah Hopkins, cultural ambassadors from the Wampanoag and Narragansett nations. In January-March 2022 Pinewoods hosted an online Indigenous Arts and Culture Winter Series in three sessions.

  • PCI supports diversity in the folk arts community by extending scholarships to session attendees at Pinewoods. For the 2022 summer season, Pinewoods will partner with Program Providers to offer two new scholarships; Need-based and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)

  • PCI will provide ongoing implicit bias training for our staff and crew.

  • PCI is in the process of renaming the C# and C# Minor dance pavilions. This process has involved a lot of introspection, reflection, and discussion. We hope with new names to further inclusion and acceptance at Camp for the next 100 years. For more information, please read this announcement from March 2022.

  • We support our Program Providers in the self-reflection and reckoning in which they, too, are engaged.