Co-founders T. Oliver Reid, Warren Adams, and Reginald “Reggie” Van Lee, along with Executive Director Afton Battle and Board Member Aaliytha Stevens, announced the formation of the Black Theatre Coalition (BTC) in the summer of 2020, a new organization aiming to build a sustainable, ethical roadmap to increase employment opportunities for Black theatre professionals and eradicate the long-standing racial inequities in the American theatre. Its stated goal is to increase work opportunities for Black theatre professionals by at least 500% by 2030.
BTC’s mission is to remove the “illusion of inclusion” in the American Theatre, by building a sustainable ethical roadmap that will increase employment opportunities for Black theatre professionals. Their vision is to reshape the working ecosystem for those who have been marginalized by systemically racist and biased ideology.