Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1280987
12 SAG-AFTRA | Summer 2020 | sagaftra.org R E B E C C A D A M O N "We are key players in how these crises are resolved. But only when we listen, apply critical thinking and make our voices heard." Dear Member, T hese are the tough times history books write about. As a nation, we are at a crossroads. The COVID-19 pandemic rages on, the economy and our personal financial situations have taken a serious hit, civil unrest has reached a boiling point and a high-stakes election awaits us in November. All of these challenges deeply affect our beloved union as well. Lest we forget, though, the power is in our hands. As SAG-AFTRA members and residents of this country, we are key players in how these crises are resolved. But only when we listen, apply critical thinking and make our voices heard. As a New Yorker, it is so very evident how connected we all are. Pre-pandemic, when I walked the neighborhoods, I was also walking from culture to culture. Like a microcosm of the world, I could hear a dozen languages being spoken as I walked by shops owned by immigrants from every corner of the globe. SAG-AFTRA shares many of the same traits: the diversity, the strength and the difficulties, but most importantly, the understanding that we are all linked and we each have a role to play. I have lived in New York City during two of our country's greatest crises, 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Each time, the people of this city have pulled together to get through the dark times. We are all connected: Everything we do affects each other, and that's all the more evident as we try to live our lives under the threat of the coronavirus. During this pandemic, our progress relies on everyone remaining vigilant by physical distancing, wearing a mask and practicing good hand-washing hygiene. It's the least we can do for each other. The concept of collective care is a fundamental union value, and union members are well situated to think about what that means for our society, our country and our planet. As union members, we understand the importance of justice, inclusion and equality. And as artists, we reflect the human condition. Now is the time for our industry and our country to take tangible steps to do better. There is momentum in this moment, and so much that each of us can do. We can support Black Lives Matter by being willing to fight the structural racism in our systems and demand that what we see onscreen, in the newsroom and on the set looks like the world in which we live. We can elect leaders who share our values. We can participate in the U.S. census, which determines representation and funding for the next decade. And, of course, we can vote in November, which may be one of the most consequential elections of our lifetimes. As the late, great John Lewis said, "When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something, you have to do something." Let us do something. Together. As Lewis implored us, let's "get in good trouble, necessary trouble and redeem the soul of America." Onward together, Rebecca Damon