In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day a statement from the Tucson Pima Arts Council

The Tucson Pima Arts Council believes that a healthy and robust democracy embraces political and cultural differences, and supports the multiplicity of world views that enrich our society and county.

Laws that deny the civil rights of individuals, hate speech directed toward religious and social groups, and assaults on education and the teaching of cultural differences, have a toxic effect that fosters civic animosity and social division. Current anti-immigration rhetoric, personal attacks on political and religious beliefs, and the promotion of cultural misunderstanding undermine human dignity and betray our ideals of democracy.

The “We” as in “We the people” is not a “We” of me and my friends to the exclusion of others. The “We” as in “We the people” includes people you don’t know. "We" signifies the inclusive America that is our nation’s legacy and strength. The Tucson Pima Arts Council disavows and rejects acts of discrimination and intolerance that belittle our democracy and freedoms.

The Tucson Pima Arts Council celebrates our nation’s inclusive spirit, our region’s rich cultural diversity and our community’s ability to imagine and envision our lives together in harmony and cooperation.