A Message from Future Proof
To our fans, friends, family, cast, crew, past, present, and future:
Hello,
We — along with millions of other people and hundreds of production companies around the world — are facing a turning point in history that has been hundreds of years in the making, and is now back once again to the forefront with the murder of George Floyd. It is no longer about a ‘return to normal,’ as it is about the here, now, and what kind of world we want tomorrow to be.
We firmly believe that anybody with the right skills or the desire to learn those skills can create amazing content, regardless of racial, economic, gender, or professional background. No identity or status should exclude you from the business of entertainment and storytelling, and we hold this to be a universal truth. Our company policy has an explicit statement we refer to when considering any content that we put out:
[do not touch] on issues of race, gender, sexuality, or other oppressed minorities unless it is in the service of finest-quality satire and in recognition of their struggles — Don’t Punch Down.
While we have struggled with this rule in the past, we will continue to get better at it, and there is always room for improvement. It would be wrong to not further acknowledge that our company was founded with a hefty helping of white male privilege.
We at Future Proof cannot deny or absolve these foundations, but we can do everything in our power to use our resources and platform as a place for good; as a place where everybody is celebrated, inspired, and welcomed. To that end, we have decided that continuing business as usual is to stand on the sidelines at best, and complicity at worst.
We will continue our creative work in a limited scope; releasing content when it is ready, at a time and place where it is appropriate. In the coming days however, we will be actively supporting our staff and former cast & crew in any forms of direct or indirect action they may take in support of the current protests.
We wish that we could include a hard dollar amount or demonstration of what we are doing collectively right here and now, but unfortunately we’re still figuring that out — while that may make this entire statement a bit anticlimactic, honesty is more important than anything right now.
For our part, we are actively looking for and approaching local advocacy and activism organizations that we can support- we have many passionate nerds with various internet skills and a 96' Buick LeSabre on standby, and will assist when and where is most appropriate. We may be small, but we will not sit idly by. If you have connections or recommendations, drop us a line — all help is appreciated. When we have news on this front, we will post updates accordingly.
To our cast and crew, we love you all and support your efforts in the fight against inequality and police militancy. Black Lives Matter, period. We will assist you in any ways that we are able to do so. Please reach out to us if you need anything.
To our friends and family, we ask that you join us in support of the protests happening not only nation-wide in all 50 states, but globally.
For our part, we stand behind the movement already in progress, and the movements to come. If you or anybody else you know is looking for resources, there are many organizations and platforms that are the place to head to if you want to help- we’re the wrong company to mobilize behind. If you are at a loss, here’s a lovely article to help point you in the right direction:
https://www.thecut.com/article/george-floyd-protests-how-to-help-where-to-donate.html
We officially support any, and all organizations fighting against the continued oppression and suppression of Black voices. As New Yorkers, we further ask that anybody in the greater NYC area have a look at Justice League NYC:
https://www.gatheringforjustice.org/justiceleaguenyc
We are in no way affiliated, but we consider ourselves huge fans of their work. If you would like a clear and concise declaration of our company’s stance, we stand behind this statement from The Gathering for Justice & Justice League NYC:
https://twitter.com/NYjusticeleague/status/1267092918030000128?s=09
We wish you all the best. We hear you, and are right behind you, ready to help. Fight the good fight and let us all come together to make tomorrow better than today.
With Sincerity,
Future Proof
