To the Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA) community and its leaders,

ASFA has been a place of opportunity, providing an environment to nurture the talents of many gifted children who are the artists, doers, and thinkers of Alabama. ASFA offers a quality educational experience that is individualized for the future generations of the world, changing the lives of promising individuals. It is a wonderful school that is a haven for the youth of Alabama.

Unfortunately, there have been multiple instances of injustice that have occurred at the school and there has been a history of administration taking little to no action. Whenever there was any action, it would tend to worsen the situations that the victims had to face. By this poor handling of these grave situations, the school has swept many injustices under the rug, failing to take accountability and responsibility.

We believe in the school and its gifts. We believe in the betterment of the school that has impacted so many lives. This petition and the open letter is our way to reach out to the community and the leaders, with ways that the school can achieve betterment in its purpose.

In this petition, we highlight six topics that must be confronted by the school community, particularly its leadership. These topics highlight how ASFA has handled it in the past and how it may improve with the solutions suggested. 

1. Increased Transparency and Communication between Administration and Students
2. Decolonized Academia
3. Starting a Black Student Union (BSU)
4. Inclusivity towards the LGBTQIA+ Community
5. Updated Student and Dorm Resources
6. Student Recruitment

We have created an open letter that further details the discussion of these topics, which we highly encourage everyone to read for further understanding: Please Do Better, ASFA - An Open Letter for a Better Future.

The steps given throughout this document are necessary for ASFA to uphold its mission to “nurture impassioned students by guiding and inspiring them” in an environment that is genuinely committed to being an educational safe space for all voices.

As members of the ASFA community, we are proud of all that it has done in the academic sphere, but we recognize that the school is capable of betterment and growth in the mission it stands behind. 

Please sign this petition today for a better tomorrow. Share this petition and open letter with others in the ASFA community, as well as the greater Birmingham community to demand a better future. If the spirit of this petition moves you, but you have different demands, we ask you to take action by contacting ASFA administration in the form below with your own calls for action. 

On behalf of the past, current, and future community, thank you.