About Us

 Our Mission: 

BlackLight is a community for people of color to empower one another through life, performance, & well-being.

Our Community Values:

• Established relationships with our Members and Allies
• Equity in production spaces, both on the stage and behind the scenes
• Respect and Inclusion for all minorities in the arts 
• Freedom of expression and authentic creativity
• Holding space for all cultures, genders (fluid & nonbinary), and disabilities.

Community Initiates Change...

We are a launchpad for artists who want to take their skills to the next level in a supportive environment. Becoming an ally of Blacklight, we encourage tough conversations about racial oppression, discrimination, and unfairness. We advocate for putting these discussions into action. Our approach uses social justice theories and ideas that are important to have equity in Theatre and TV/Film. Our community attracts people of color who want to be a part of the change and our allies believe that their contribution and time will develop a healthier dynamic of inclusion within the entertainment industry.

Our Team Core Values

• Respect each other's time and space including mind, body, and spirit.
• As POC we respect our differences in Culture and empower those differences within our team.
• Provided open and honest safe spaces in the best way we possibly can for all 
• The Power we value as people of color will never be diminished; We unapologetically embrace our culture.

Code of Ethics

We are committed to:

• Respect for the community we work with and serve.
• Integrity in our actions.
• Responsibility for our decisions and their consequences.
• Being responsible, transparent, and accountable for all of our actions
• Improving accountability, transparency, ethical conduct, and effectiveness of the nonprofit field.
• Appropriately handling actual or apparent conflicts of interest in our relationships
• Treating our members and allies fairly
• Treating every individual with dignity and respect
• Treating our employees with respect, fairness, and good faith, and providing conditions of employment that safeguard their rights and welfare
• Acting responsibly toward the community in which we work and for the benefit of the community that we serve

Pre-graduation in 2016, India Shanelle noticed a lack of representation within the staff and students at Southeast Missouri State University Theatre & Dance Conservatory. It became apparent when SEMO produced shows that were period based or heavy on discrimination, there wasn't enough representation within the department (Both faculty and Students) to execute the shows appropriately. She noticed the struggle of the teacher's firsthand. The professors struggled to express to minority actors what they needed within the context of racial issues or moments in the script that required diving into oppressive content.