Our dear friend Adrianne Russell reached out to folks on Twitter for financial support during a tough time of job loss, housing loss, and a large amount of hospitalization costs. This is a call to support her request for financial support, and a note of appreciation for Adrianne as a caring, thoughtful agitator for social transformation, and for all the work she has done to advance equity within the museum field. 

In 2014, Adrianne was one of many museum workers moved towards action by the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. She helped draft a joint statement that acted as a call to action to colleagues across the field, and catalyzed action in a number of disparate spaces. 

Through 2015, with Aleia Brown she co-facilitated #MuseumsRespondToFerguson, a series of chats on Twitter that created space for museum workers to investigate our own complicity with social inequities, and built a community of like-minded museum colleagues. For many folks who were isolated as one of only a few radical-leaning people in their organizations, these chats connected people across the world forging relationships grounded in a shared interest in moving our world towards a more just future. Many of us have Adrianne to thank for that! 

From 2016 through 2018, Adrianne was a part of crucial movements within our field, including the initial Chicago Convening of Museums & Race, and as a Project Advisor for MASS Action, continuing the critical organizing she started online to in-person spaces. 

Adrianne and Aleia were keynote speakers at the MCN conference in 2017, where Adrianne was vulnerable about her experiences working in and visiting museums and challenged her fellow colleagues to deepen our commitments towards social change. 

This year she’s started up Marginsbox, a subscription box service featuring Black, Indigenous, and person of color (BIPOC) young adult authors and craftspeople. 

Throughout this time she has demonstrated a deep commitment to social transformation, and has created spaces to bring many of us on her journey with her. You can step up to her call to support in a few ways:

• Through the end of August, 100% of proceeds from sales at the Visitors of Color shop will go directly to Adrianne. 
• You can support her directly on her GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/russell-rebound

In many ways, museums are in this current moment of transformation because of Adrianne’s consistent commitment and effort towards justice. Please respond to her request for support during her time of need.

Sincerely,

nikhil, Porchia, Aletheia , and Rose