New Sanctuary Coalition

Keeping families together and advocating against deportations

MOMA Divest - Full Statement

We denounce MoMA’s connections to mass incarceration, global dispossession and climate catastrophe, and demand that MoMA’s Board member Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, divest from prison companies, the war machine and the destruction of the global environment. Stopping the global cycles of dispossession, displacement and detention, and reinvesting in the basic necessities of food, shelter, health and freedom are the best ways to ensure that communities worldwide thrive. 

MoMA Board member and CEO of BlackRock, Larry Fink, is the 2nd largest shareholder of prison companies, GEO Group and Core Civic. With over $2 billion in contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.), these companies have been responsible for 70% of all immigration detention including children and families jailed at the border as well as in the interior. Prison companies are a part of the racist state-sanctioned carceral system of the U.S., which has made the country the largest jailer in the world, placing a massively disproportionate number of black and brown people behind bars.

BlackRock also owns billions of dollars in shares of weapons manufacturers. The company has more money invested in the fossil fuel and agribusiness industries – the biggest drivers of climate change – than any other company in the world. Despite their severe threat to the planet, BlackRock continues to invest in tar sands, coal, Arctic oil, Amazon crude, and rainforest destruction. 

We demand that MoMA board member Larry Fink begin by divesting all assets from GEO Group and Core Civic. 

Divestment is possible. New York City’s pension fund has divested! Even JP Morgan, Bank of America and Wells Fargo have agreed to cut loans to these companies.  

Larry Fink has stated that he wants to hold companies accountable for being “responsible corporate citizens.” This can be achieved by removing funds from prison slavery and supporting campaigns such as No New Jails’ push to close Rikers and block the promotion of new borough-based cages. MoMA has spent over half a billion dollars to remake its image and its building in midtown Manhattan. We suggest instead that funds be redistributed towards alternative models of well-being, community-based creativity, sanctuary, land restitution/defense for indigenous peoples, and the material improvement of dispossessed communities worldwide. 

MoMA’s director Glenn Lowry has said that the renovations will help us “explore the ideas that shape our world and find inspiration in the art of our time.” Indeed, this is the time and these are the moments that define us as individuals and as a society. MoMA can choose to be defined by its silence over mass incarceration, climate change and global dispossession. We choose not to.

Again, we demand that Larry Fink and the MOMA board divest their funds from prison companies.  We demand that Larry Fink & all MoMA board members disclose any & all additional prison slavery-involved investments. We ask that they meet with concerned artists, community leaders, immigrant rights organizations, and detainees to hear the real story about the shares they own and how these funds should be redistributed.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to [email protected].

Signatories:


Kemi Ilesanmi

Omar Berrada, writer & curator

tania bruguera

Caron Atlas

Julia, Chang, MOCA

Monica Johnson

Dorian Mckaie

Hal Foster, Princeton University

Jessi Olsen, ALL ARTS/Resistance Revival Chorus

Andrea Fraser, artist

CAITLIN BAUCOM, artist and ex MoMA employee

Sandra Skurvida

Eva, Yaa Asantewaa, InfiniteBody

Anne Hamburger, En Garde Arts

Pearl Bhatnagar, Freedom Cities

Hannah Joo, Coordinator of Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives at Dance/NYC

Miriam Ticktin, The New School

Sophia Garcia

Amanda Pajak, American Federation of Arts

Michelle, Castaneda, Brown University

Kelsey S Brewer, Brooklyn-based artist

Chloë Bass, Artist

hito steyerl

Gregory Sholette Gulf Labor Coalition

Mika Rottenberg

Paula Chakravartty, Associate Professor, NYU

Arang Keshavarzian, New York University

Dipti Desai, New York University

John Singler, New York University

Rayna Rapp, NYU

Manu Goswami, Dept of History, NYU

Sally Guttmacher, NYU

Toby Lee, Cinema Studies, NYU Tisch

John M. Archer, NYU

Xaviera Simmons Studio

Julie Livingston, Silver Professor, New York University

Mary Taylor

Marita Sturken, New York University

Gil Anidjar, Columbia University

Kathryn Hamilton

Alejandro Cesarco

Noah Fischer, Occupy Museums

Dr. Jackie Orr, scholar & artist

Talal Asad, CUNY Graduate Center, Emeritus

Lauren van Haaften-Schick, PhD Candidate, Cornell University

Bettina Funcke

Tavia Nyong’o, Yale University

Eve Meltzer, NYU

Terike Haapoja, The New School

Magdalena Moskalewicz, School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Peter Walsh

Christian Xatrec, Emily Harvey Foundation, New York

Abou Farman, New School

Leah Mundell, Northern Arizona University

Etelle Higonnet

Alayne Unterberger

Hamid Dabashi Columbia University

Peter Mancina, University of Oxford

AbdouMaliq Simone, University of Sheffield

Stephen Duncombe, Center for Artistic Activism

Estelle Maisonett, Artist

Maira Duarte, Dance to the People

Ingrid Haftel

William Carden

Lauren, Nechamkin, Museum Educator

DEBBORA BATTAGLIA, PhD

Jackie Vimo

Anayvelyse Allen-Mossman, Columbia University

Saretta, Morgan, Arizona State University

Adam Fitzgerald, Rutgers University

Saul Chernick

darryl battaglia, none

Nadia Williams, Parsons School of Design

Prerana Reddy, Director of Programs, A Blade of Grass

Muriel Leung, PhD Student, Unviersity of Southern California

Mariam Ghani, Artist

Craig, Art + Design Education

Mandana, Independent Curator

Alexander Provan, Editor, Triple Canopy

Gerald Kelly, MOMA Member

Christina Dawkins, Founder, A4Abolitionist, LLC.

Elizabeth Hickman

Laura Tilghman, Plymouth State University

Aaron Scott, Aaron Scott Design

Lisa Cooley, art advisor

K. Eva Weiss, Temple University

Alfred Creymor, Artist

Basma Eid, Freedom To Thrive

Emily Fornof, art history student and patron of MOMA

Aziz Isham, BRIC

Sanaz Alesafar, MOMA visitor

Isabel Figueroa

Victoria Chen

Kamrun Nahar

Sarah Crumb

Nowrin Kashem

Ian Gerson, Artist and Educator

William, Felinski, Artist and Arist Member of MoMA

Masco, Joseph (University of Chicago)

Claire Bishop, Professor, CUNY Graduate Center

Nikki Columbus

Tyrone Williams

Olga Nikitina

Liz, Morina, Art Advisor @ Artist Atelier

Kiryl, Kalbasnikau, Belarus Free Theatre

Miriam Margarita Basilio, Associate Professor, NYU

Eric Golo Stone, Writer, Artist, Curator

Carol Jacobsen, University of Michigan/Women's Justice & Clemency Project www.umich.edu/~clemency

Anna Marín

Lyric Bada, CUNY Guttman

Luiza Proença, curator

Kadiatou Balde, student at SUNY Potsdam

Sun, Emily

Katinka Barragan

Laura Y. Liu, The New School

Celia K.San Felipe

Elvia Wilk, The New School, e-flux

Nico Baumbach, Associate Prof of Film, Columbia University

Rev. Micah Bucey, Judson Arts, Judson Memorial Church

David Deblinger Ensemble Force

Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa, Rhode Island School of Design

Marisa Morán Jahn, Artist

Dena Fisher

Timo Rissanen, Parsons School of Design, The New School

Camilo Godoy, Artist

Matteo Norzi - Shipibo Conibo Center, NY

Brynn Hatton

Ara H. Merjian, NYU

Sarah Walko, artist

Katayoun Vaziri Artist

Devin Kenny

Irene Small, Princeton University

Robert Slifkin, New York University

Julia Pimes Mata - C.I.S.P.E.S.

Thomas Bender, University Professor of the Humanities and History Emeritus, NYU

Carolyn Lazard

Natalia Almada

Andrea Gordillo

Aaliya Zaveri

Vital E.

Andrew H. Lee, New York University

Genevieve Yue, Assistant Professor at the New School

Cameron Russell, Model & cofounder Model Mafia

Kimberly Drew

Paloma McGregor

Janelle Grace

Jennifer Ifil-Ryan

Ni'Ja Whitson

Joseph Hall, BAAD! The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance

Gabriela Lopez-Barry

Gigi

Leia Squillace

Vivian Crockett, Art Historian and former MoMA MRC Fellow

Rachael

Monique Velazquez

RAGGA NYC

lily bo shapiro

Christina Dawkins, Founder, A4Abolitionist, LLC.

Constantina Zavitsanos, artist

Angela Kingham

Danielle Johnson

Diya Vij

Teresa Ross Tellechea - The New School + New Sanctuary Coalition

Esther

Nicholas D Mirzoeff NYU

Natalia Brizuela, UC Berkeley

Molly Crabapple

Rachel Gugelberger, Curator

Andreas Petrossiants, independent scholar and critic

Andrew Weiner, NYU-Steinhardt

Savitri D, The Church of Stop Shopping

Shaun Leonardo

Nathan Hewitt, (D)IRT

Sarah Ordway, (D)IRT

Benedict Nguyen

Shi An Tong (石安童)

Seph Rodney, Hyperallergic

Hatuey Ramos-Fermín, artist

Yumna Al-Arashi - Artist

Francisco, artist

Susan Cianciolo artist

Brett Wallace - Artist

New Sanctuary Coalition

Tiffany Hsu

Alison O'Daniel, California College of the Arts

Neferti Tadiar, Barnard College

Sarah Takesh / Collector

Park McArthur

Sonya Posmentier, New York University

Lizzie Scott

Ken Ehrlich, artist

Alexandra Délano, The New School

Zishan Ugurlu

Macushla Robinson, Art Gallery of NSW

Janice Dowell, Syracuse University

Alyshia Gálvez, The New School

Robin Dembroff (Yale)

Michael Rieppel (Assistant Professor, Philosophy, Syracuse University)

Anna Bailey

kate crehan, Professor Emerita, City University of New York

Elaine Gan

Maria Hupfield, artist

Harsha Ram, UC Berkeley

Gilda Merlot, DACA recipient and sex worker @redlightreader

Heather Davis, The New School

David Borgonjon, Columbia University

Gil Anidjar, Columbia University

Evangelina Jimenez

Royston Scott

Molly

D Ciraolo

Katherine B. Hogan. Concerned human.

Shilpa Narayan

GREGG STANKEWICZ

Savitri D

sylver pondolfino district council 37, afscme

David Yap - City University of New York

Al Smith

Robin LaVerne Wilson

Jess Beck

Evangelina Jimenez

Rachel Refkin

Robert Keilbach

Faye Ellman

Laura Castro

warren heller

sandra Turner

Corliss Parker

Mimi McDermott

Joan Racho-Jansen

Seapora Harlem

Natasha Stovall

Diana Stewart

Alexandra Jacobus

Janice Hoseine

Mark Slobin

Roy Walter

Cecilia Gaston

Angeles Donoso

Myra Miller

Kira Josefsson

Stella Dong

Clare Nolan

Ernesto Power

Rhoda Schlamm

Robert Dorsey

Denise Romero, Paralegal

Francisca Benitez

Zachary Betonte

Jane Paznik-Bondarin

Paola Dalle Carbonare

Laura Seitz

Esther Gottesman

Laura Wang

Ellen Friedland

Mallika Singh

Mary Geraghty

Beate Echols

Jennie Muoio

Will Noling

Roberta Silver

Bronwyn Isaac

Gillian de Sève, New York Action Faction

Pam Kellner

Diane Moss

Joanna Smith

gayle raskin

Diane Martella

Liza Kent

joan farber

Ellen Gruber Garvey

Mitchell Birns

Sandrine Guérin

Ashlyn Behrndt

Judy Fletcher

Cherie Acierno

Andrea Salwen

Katy McQuillan

Caroline DeLuca

julie patton

jose rosa

Marcial Godoy-Anativia

Dale Katzen

Lisa Jarnot, Chaplain in training

Penny Babel

Tim Walsh

Barbara Garber

Carla Dietz, Rev

Alison Rollman

Corey Tegeler

Loren Mindell, Steward

Joanne Koslofsky

Gavin Healy

Jess Jones

Patricia Carlson

Shelby Harvey

Maryanne Deprophetis

Janine LaFarge

Meryl Ranzer

Meghan Forbes

Ken Heard, National Writers Union, Philadelphia Chapter, Treasurer

Josh Wessler

Hedwig Brouckaert

JoAnn Rypl

Parker Pracjek

Rit Premnath

Ella Hillström

KK de La Vida Villacastin

Ellen Fleishman

Dolores Schaefer

Fran Laniado

Alana Horowitz Friedman

Abbe Tiger

Eleni Beja

Arianna Reyes

Gail Robson

Laurie Rosario

Aria Martinelli

Stacy Wu

Donauta Watson-Starcevic

Emily Martin

Aaron Nothnagle

Pilar Maria Dominguez

Margaret Murray

Alec Petty

Kathryn Scotto

Karen Kelly

Katr Connors

Karen Adelman

Sherley Amina Ayala

Cally Guasti

Christine B McVay

Clarinda Mac Low

myra goldberg

Brian Reynolds

Maxine DeSeta

Lucia O'Brien

Erin Rudegeair

Eloise True

Ciara Ruddock

Coco Fusco

Audrey Pan

Vita Taurke

Judith Lynn Rissenberg

Kemi Ilesanmi

Sunder Ashni

Izzaddine Mustafa

Tina Peacock

Dylan Gauthier

Sara Abraham

Ellen Garvey

Marisa Olson

Vandita Sewsahai

Jeannine Tang

Jack McGrath

Shana Agid

Kay Rosen

Joe Bucciero

Ella Nimmo

Miriam Margarita Basilio Gaztambide

Michael Rakowitz

Cameron Rowland

rhonda lieberman

Jenny Hipscher

Alexandra Dell’Amore

Sebastian Gamez

Sally Davidson

Rio Blasco

rafa esparza

sam pulitzer

Jussara Raxlen

Guerrilla Girls

Angélica Maria Millán Lozano

Nina Sarnelle

chris jones

Peter VanKoughnett

Miru Osuga

Melinda Zitnick

Dahlia Eid

Bob Nickas

Sibley Barlow

Mariana Wilson

Zahra Alzubaidi

Sewon Kang

Adaeze Oduma

Nancy Mancias

Carly Schmidt

Gurtegh Singh, ECAASU

Serena Shen

Ada Zhang

lily tang

Lily Tang

Mónica Ramón Ríos, writer

Sarah Hamill

Priyanka Dasgupta

Shelly ` Silver - Artist

Lamisse B

gary Schnakenberg

Eve Meltzer

Phil Collins

Su Friedrich

Donna Price

Lucy Tweed

Alex Zucker

Katherine Muhm

Roseann Thomas

Alice Hibara

Carys Lamberg

Ojas Deshpande

Gregoryr Cala

Alma Valdez-Garcia

Minahil Khan

Laura Walton

sarah shapiro

Amanda Boyajian

Andrew Kachel

Lydia Matthews

Enid Farber

Cristina Loukopoulos

Valerie Tevere

Amanda Samimi

Reality Curry

Hana Park

Emilia Wang

Angela Minoggio

Gilad Bendavid

Tal Gilboa

Conrad Tao

Leah Kelly

ryusuke kobayashi

Rose Lord

lauren day

haley johnson

Harold Crooks

Vaida Norvilaite

Walter Ditman

Elizabeth Colantuoni

Agnieszka Kurant

Adam Weiss

Lea Bernier-Coffineau

Ignacio Cruz

Aggie Lukaszewski

Grey Berkowitz

Stacie Carte

Dave Lippman

Marcella Durand

Dave Marain

Adam Kelley

Patrick Jaojoco

Eva

Nicole Eisenman

anne isaak

Stephanie Kadison

Jean Mensing

Christine O'Heron

Amelie Daigle

Maya Martin

Toby shore

Noah Kurth

Gabriela Artavia

jennie alexander

Iberia Perez

Peter Scott

Laurel Tumarkin

Dr Sandra Langer

Elizabeth Kessler

Nefeli Asariotaki

Derwin Gonzalez

Courtney Yoshimura

Annie OReilly

Emily Dorrel

Alan Paluck

Rachel Valinsky

Michele Matteini

Nicole Georgopulos

Nicholas Galanin

Allison Fonder

Andrew Suseno

Timothy Wersan

Amanda Tiscione

Lawrence Pouliot

Tara Buentello

Mariah Cameron

Doris Sher

Paul Keegan

Rosita Nunez

Tammy Seow

Eddie Arroyo

Daria Sanchez

Red Canary Song

Audrey G

Olivia Ross

Gregory Ng

Cecilia Dougherty

Michael Schulz

Felipe Ribeiro

Felipe Ribeiro

jana lauren

Dean Sameshima

Enrique Nunez

New Sanctuary Coalition

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