March 13, 2020
For a membership organization supporting arts and cultural education, there is an urgency to address our own internal bias, privilege, and role in perpetuating systemic racism in our daily practices, policies, and language, and to begin the process of replacing them with equitable policies, practices, and programming.
In Spring 2019, the Guild applied and was awarded funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to conduct a racial equity-based strategic planning process focused on internal structures, practices, and policies. Through an 18-month visioning and planning process (July 2019 – December 2020), Guild staff and board seek to build an equitable organizational culture and shift power within the Guild to better serve and be accountable to leaders and communities of color.
In January 2020, the Guild contracted the Equity Literacy Institute to conduct a racial equity audit of the organization, and to support the visioning and planning through facilitation and training. As a result of this work, the Guild will develop a clear vision and plan for becoming an anti-racist organization.
We will continue to update the field and our members as we move forward with this vital work.
Published: March 12, 2020