On November 15, Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) submitted its official response to the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) complaint against the Company. In addition to denying nearly every charge, DBDT asserted as an affirmative defense that “the Complaint is barred to the extent the NLRB is unconstitutional.”
With this brazen constitutional challenge, DBDT’s leadership aligns itself with right-wing, anti-worker oligarchs like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and other leaders of some of the nation’s most aggressively anti-union corporations. These tactics are part of a broader effort to dismantle workers’ legal rights and recourse entirely.
This development underscores the growing fragility of U.S. labor law, a fragility rooted in the fact that anti-union corporations know the incoming leadership of this country is staunchly anti-worker and anti-artist. They are banking on this alignment to grow their power and further erode the rights of working people. If DBDT chooses to pursue this constitutionality argument, it could significantly delay the NLRB hearing and deepen the injustice faced by the dancers.
The fight for fairness and dignity for working artists has never been more urgent. Recent victories, including key donors and funders pulling their support from DBDT and the Dallas City Council’s decision to pause funding, signal a shift in accountability. These actions reflect a growing awareness of the unjust treatment of DBDT’s dancers. While we continue to pursue legal avenues, it’s clear that progress will increasingly rely on the power of collective action—like the rallies, marches, and public demonstrations that have galvanized our movement on the streets of Dallas in recent months.
AGMA remains committed to the real dancers of DBDT. Their courage in the face of injustice has inspired us all, and we will continue to stand alongside them as they fight for the respect and rights they deserve. We hope to see many of you at our next picket line in Dallas on November 25. As always, we respectfully ask the public to honor our picket line and refrain from crossing it to attend any DBDT performance.