Insights from theAmerican Alliance of Museums’
Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion
Working Group“Diversity work does not
simply generate knowledge
about institutions...
it generates knowledgeof institutions in theprocess of attempting totransform them.”— Sara Ahmed,

feminist scholar andanti‑harassment advocate

As the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) developed
its 2016–20 strategic plan, the board of directors andleadership team started by listening—learning what
museum professionals believe are the issues most vitalto the field’s viability, relevance, and sustainability. At the
top of many priority lists were issues of diversity, equity,
accessibility, and inclusion in all aspects of museums’
structure and programming. These issues, abbreviated as
DEAI, became our first focus area.
Prioritizing DEAI was undoubtedly compelled by Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole’s
landmark keynote delivered at AAM’s 2015 Annual Meeting. She called formuseums to “be of social value by not only inspiring but creating change around
one of the most critical issues of our time—the issue of diversity.”
The Alliance has not always been as diverse and just as it must be. We are now ona path toward improvement, along with our community of museums, museum
professionals, and other museum service organizations. We are working hard to
ask ourselves the questions posed in this report and to follow the suggestions
provided, both internally and in the service we provide to the field.
In setting her vision for our work, Dr. Cole reminded us of what Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr. called the “beloved community.” She said, “Fundamental to the conceptof the beloved community is inclusiveness, both economic and social. The notionthat all can share in earth’s bounty describes a society in which the social productis shared far more equally than it is in today’s world. The beloved community also
describes a society in which all are embraced and none discriminated against.”
While just one tiny step in a decades-long journey, this report lays out a framework
for the Alliance’s next set of priorities and programs aimed toward achieving the“beloved community” throughout our field.
In partnership,

Laura L. Lott
President and CEO
American Alliance of Museums

FACING CHANGE: Insights from AAM’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Group

From the President of AAM

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Introduction
Today, the country’s museums are increasingly taking up the charge
to be more inclusive. Museum workers, directors, and trustees arereflecting on the historical inequalities that have shaped the field.
Employment pipeline programs and leadership development
initiatives are helping to address long‑standing barriers to entry.
FACING CHANGE: Insights from AAM’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Group2This ongoing effort to increase diversity, equity,
accessibility, and inclusion in museums isn’t new,
but it does reflect what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
described in 1963 as the “fierce urgency of now.” Thework doesn’t begin “out there,” in some space external
to museum staffs, directors, and boards. Nor does ithinge solely on outreach to underserved populations.
Effective inclusion work begins inside the structures ofour museums and within each of us.
In spring 2017, following its strategic plan, theAmerican Alliance of Museums (AAM) convened theWorking Group on Diversity, Equity, Accessibility,
and Inclusion (DEAI). Twenty museum professionals,
representing a variety of disciplines, organizational
sizes and types, and perspectives, came together
monthly at the Alliance’s offices in Arlington, Virginia,
and once at the 2017 AAM Annual Meeting in St. Louis,
Missouri. For six months, this group examined thecharacteristics of effective museum inclusion practices
and considered what steps the field could take topromote DEAI.
Cochaired by Alliance President and CEO Laura Lottand lifelong DEAI leader Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole,
the working group’s charge was to:■■ identify current DEAI activities in the field■■ understand key challenges, issues, andopportunities related to promoting DEAI■■ learn from how other sectors have successfully

Through our work, we reaffirmed the relevance of DEAI
within the entire museum field. We believe that those
who have historically been relegated to the margins
of society due to legacies of racism, ableism, sexism,
heterosexism, xenophobia, and all other forms of
injustice must be fully included in museum workplaces
and communities. The insights shared in this report
apply to museums across the spectrum. Diversity,
equity, accessibility, and inclusion are as important forlarge institutions with scores of people on staff as they
are for small museums run by volunteers.
At the 2016 AAM Annual Meeting, Laura Lott asked
audiences, “How will history judge our efforts—bothas individuals and museums? Will we be urgent andproactive players to correct our society’s inequities?”
To these timely inquiries, the working group adds
others: Whose perspectives are missing? How do wemove from focusing on DEAI to removing oppression
and reducing harm? How do we ensure that museums
remain financially sustainable while working tobecome welcoming and safe for all?
As you read the sections that follow and continue theconversation in your own museum, I hope that you
will let these prompts guide your reflections. No one
person has all the answers, but the future of museums
depends on our collective willingness to address
the questions.
Sincerely,

overcome DEAI challenges■■ identify steps that museum professionals can take toadvance DEAI■■ outline opportunities for collaboration andfurther work

Nicole Ivy, PhD
Director of Inclusion
American Alliance of Museums

How to Use This Report

Our five insights summarize key takeaways from theworking group’s conversations about big-picture ideas
and specific examples from members’ experiences.
Selected responses to questions the group posed atthe 2017 AAM Annual Meeting and on social media
are meant to highlight feedback and inspire action.
Several ideas reappear across sections, since many of
the issues we discussed are interconnected. The report
also outlines the working group’s process to model

how museum staffs, leadership, boards, and otherstakeholders can launch similar convenings.
Overall, the report explores challenges faced andlessons learned by a few of those who have taken on
the effort to expand DEAI in museums. We invite you
to take note of which insights resonate with you andshare those notes with others. Continue to visit the
Alliance website to join the conversation through blog
posts and other interactive opportunities.

Working Group Participants
AAM enthusiastically thanks the members of the Working Group on
Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion for their generosity and wisdom:
COCHAIRS

MEMBERS

Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole

Christine Anagnos

Dr. Nicole Ivy

Monica Montgomery

The Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation
Cook Ross Inc.

Association of Art
Museum Directors

American Allianceof Museums

Museum Hue

Laura L. LottDina Bailey

Brooke Leonard

Columbia Museum of Art

Mountain Top Vision
American Association forState and Local History

American Allianceof Museums

Lisa Sasaki

Brian Carter

Mike Lesperance

Smithsonian Asian Pacific
American Center

The Design Minds
LGBTQ Alliance

Cecile Shellman

American Allianceof Museums

Association of African
American Museums

Dr. Robert M. Davis
Museum Consultant
American Alliance ofMuseums Board Member

Eduardo Diaz
Smithsonian Latino Center
American Alliance ofMuseums Board Member

Omar Eaton-Martinez
National Museum of
American History

Dr. Tonya Matthews
Michigan Science Center
American Alliance ofMuseums Board Member

Laura Huerta Migus
Association of Children’sMuseums

Machel Monenerkit
National Museum of theAmerican Indian

Dr. Porchia Moore

Carnegie Museumsof Pittsburgh
Diversity Committee(DivCom)

Kathy Dwyer Southern
The George Washington
University

FACING CHANGE: Insights from AAM’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Group

This document presents a shared vocabulary and a set of basic principles to guidemuseum professionals toward incorporating DEAI into the heart of our work. It ismeant to be a starting place, not an endpoint. The working group’s findings arepresented here as food for thought to jump-start the long-term processes that
effective DEAI work requires.

Chris Taylor
Minnesota Historical Society

Beth Ziebarth
Smithsonian Institution
Accessibility Programs3

What We Learned
Diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are essential, sustainable values formuseums to pursue. These principles are not only bedrocks of ethical and morally
courageous museum work, but they also signal how the field can remain relevant
to an ever-diversifying US population.
FACING CHANGE: Insights from AAM’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Group

Inclusive leadership requires a careful and continuous
examination of our implicit biases, which are theoften-unexamined tendencies and preferences that
we all harbor. When museum professionals use
phrases like “our audiences” and “our staff,” andpronouns like “we,” “us,” and “them,” we express ideas
about belonging. This is not inherently bad. After all,enriching communities and fostering shared learning
experiences are at the heart of what museums do.
However, failing to recognize how these terms affectorganizational approaches can lead to excluding voices
not considered part of a museum’s core audienceor leadership.
Practicing inclusion also demands continuous
assessment and eradication of explicit inequalities.
Unconscious bias training and cultural competencebuilding are only valuable if they inform museums’
approaches to structural change.

History of the Alliance’s Efforts
The progress in our field to date reflects the brave anddiligent work of many people over many years. When
AAM launched its 2016–20 strategic plan with DEAI asa focus area, part of our initial work involved identifying
and assessing the Alliance’s past efforts. An internalsurvey of our records revealed a sustained commitment
to DEAI over the past three decades, starting with the
AAM board’s adoption of the Excellence & Equity 1 reportas a policy statement in 1991. Since then, AAM has:■■ included diversity and inclusion in several of

its strategic plans■■ convened external task forces to develop

action plans for the field

The working group’s learnings can be summed up into
five insights about the key components of effective
museum DEAI work. With this report, we collectively
assert the following:■■ created internal inclusion teams

1. Every museum professional must do personal
work to face their unconscious bias■■ worked to integrate DEAI into museum

2. Debate on definitions must not hinder progress
3. Inclusion is central to the effectiveness andsustainability of museums
4. Systemic change is vital to long-term,
genuine progress
5. Empowered, inclusive leadership is essential
at all levels of an organization
Importantly, this list is not exhaustive. Our
observations also do not provide definitive metrics
for success. Indicators such as retention rates forhistorically underrepresented employees, reports of

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discrimination, organizational inclusion plans, andaccurate demographic information about staff andtrustees all help hold museums accountable.

■■ hired staff members devoted to addressing DEAI■■ issued a national diversity statement with affiliateorganizations
excellence programs■■ published numerous related articles, fact sheets,

toolkits, and other resources
While we acknowledge and respect our predecessors’
efforts, reviewing AAM’s history around DEAI led
to several questions, particularly as we discoveredthat multiple past plans had featured similar sets ofrecommendations. The biggest of our questions: Why
haven’t we seen more change?
Dr. Lonnie G. Bunch III, director of the Smithsonian’s
National Museum of African American History andCulture, powerfully expressed this concern in his article“Flies in the Buttermilk: Museums, Diversity, and theWill to Change” (Museum News, 2000). He confessed

That report listed “specific actions AAM and the field could take to increase diversity in museum audiences and leadership within themuseum community.”In the working group meetings, we committed to aprocess of self-reflection, learning from past efforts,
recognizing the barriers that have hindered thefield’s progress, and breaking down those barriersin specific ways. We also agreed that no person ororganization can do this work alone. Every museum
service organization, museum, and individual has work
to do. If we make progress, it is because we have all
played a part.

The Process
For this study, the Alliance convened museum
professionals who have demonstrated commitment
to DEAI. The working group was composed ofpassionate, talented professionals with a broad baseof experience and expertise. It included museum
educators, directors, independent professionals,
and diversity and inclusion leaders. Still, the group
was less a representative sample than a task force.
As thought leaders and committed practitioners of
DEAI, the members gathered to share strategies andoutline practical ways to carry the work forward. Dr.
Nicole Ivy, Brooke Leonard, and Kathy Dwyer Southernrounded out the team of Alliance staff that supported
the project.
For six months, the working group discussed criticalissues around DEAI, including why DEAI is relevant
to museums, what current trends affect museums’
approaches to equity, and who bears responsibility for
implementing inclusive practices in museums (shortanswer: everybody). We also focused on how—theimportance of developing ways to apply the principles
of DEAI across functional areas. Although the working
group has formally disbanded, the Alliance continues
to consider what future groups could look like.
One of our fundamental working assumptions wasthat this process would be iterative. Each groupmember brought their own skill set and priorities tothis work. From the outset, the cochairs encouraged
the group to be flexible and collaborative. This learn-

as-you-go approach meant that we had to be willingto compromise, revise, and restart on more than one
occasion. We stressed the importance of trusting boththe process and one another. We remained open. We
dug into difficult conversations even when they felt
uncomfortable. But this, too, is the work of inclusion.
The group decided early on to set its sights on the
tough questions. We learned through our initial
discussions that, although there are many excellent,sustainable DEAI-related initiatives at US museums
and museum organizations, any inventory that we
could offer would lack clear insight into the criticalissues of inclusive museum practice. So, we decided
to assess our challenges and our visions of success.
We surveyed ourselves and posed the same questions
to museum professionals on social media using thehashtag #museuminclusion and on talk-back walls at
the 2017 AAM Annual Meeting in St. Louis. We asked
the following questions:■■ What are you most proud of in your work on diversity,

equity, accessibility, and inclusion?
■■ What are your greatest obstacles to this work?
■■ What resources do you need?
■■ What does success look like for the field?

Museum professionals responded enthusiastically,
generating over 485,000 impressions on Twitter.
Respondents were proudest of their museums’
progress in accessibility, openness to dialogue
around inclusion, and steps toward raising awarenessabout the value of DEAI. The greatest obstacles werepredominantly echoed in people’s statements of theirneeds, which were overwhelmingly “money” andstaff capacity or time. Respondents also identified adesire for more practical tools, such as professional
development resources, training, examples, templates,
and case studies. The visions for success called forliving wages across the field, more diverse visitorship,connected communities, and “collaboration overconsultation” as a model of engagement.
The working group agreed that money and time
are immense barriers to inclusion. We took thesechallenges into account as we concretized our five key
insights, ensuring that they are applicable to museumsof all sizes, types, and budgets.

FACING CHANGE: Insights from AAM’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Group

that he was worried because, after more than 20 years
in the field, he was “still hearing some of the same
debates and conversations.” The fact that Bunch’s
words reflecting on the previous 20 years were written
nearly two decades ago is not lost on us. It’s true thatsome progress has been made, but in many ways weare still having those same debates and conversations.

5Five Insights

FACING CHANGE: Insights from AAM’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Group6

1

Every museum professional must do personal
work to face unconscious bias

We all have a stake in DEAI. As people wholove and support museums, we are called tohonor our common humanity—all the waysthat we are different and the same. This spectrum of
human possibility is what we mean when we use theterm “diversity.” While institutions help us organize ourinterests, what we do individually demonstrates theinstitutional commitment to our audiences.
Recognizing our unconscious biases is a meaningful
first step. Unconscious bias refers to our automatic,
often-unspoken beliefs about various social groups.
These hidden assumptions—also referred to as implicit
or unintentional bias—influence how we judge others’
competency. They shape our expectations for humaninteraction and form the basis of prejudicial actions.

This internal, personal work is work. It calls for study,skill-building, and practice. As working group member
Chris Taylor has noted, “Inclusion requires knowledge,
skills, and abilities that are not wholly taught to museum
professionals through training programs…We cannot
expect our field to do this work through osmosis.”3 Oncemuseum professionals identify our biases, we can movetoward managing them through empathy and actionoriented strategies. Recommended steps for developing
these skills include:■■ unconscious bias training■■ implicit bias association tests■■ intercultural competence assessments■■ cultural competency training■■ self-awareness work (e.g., personality andleadership style surveys)

We all have unconscious biases. The urge to evaluate
is an innate human response. Social and behavioral
scientists note that the “ability to distinguish friend
from foe helped early humans survive.”2 Even thoseof us who are experienced DEAI professionals mustroutinely check our biases.

These skills can be built at the individual ororganizational level; the steps are the same. Self-workstrengthens the foundation for institutional work.

Unconscious bias matters to museums because it affects
our decisions about who belongs in museum leadershipand how we reach out to audiences. It influences how we
set salaries, craft job descriptions, promote employees,
and design interior and exterior spaces. Learning to
identify our biases can help us intentionally think again:even if our first impulses are prejudicial, our next
thoughts and steps don’t have to be.

You and your team can identify available
practitioners who can facilitate this work. You canalso take the Harvard Implicit Association Test for
free online to help identify your own unconscious
biases. You can then host a brown-bag discussion
around your experiences or agree to share yourresults in a safe and respectful conversation.

2
3

CALL TO ACTION

Source: www.tolerance.org/professional-development/test-yourself-for-hidden-bias
Source: http://futureofmuseums.blogspot.com/2016/02/do-ing-diversity-in-museums.html“If your museum is large or small, old or young, famous or not yet famous,the need for seeking and sustaining diversity in your museums…has
never been greater. If we are to be relevant in this ever-changing world, tostay artistically and financially viable, all of our museums must boldly—
indeed, bodaciously—commit to rethinking about what takes place inour museums, to whom our museums belong and who the colleagues are
who have the privilege of telling important stories through the power ofscience, history, culture and art.”

FACING CHANGE: Insights from AAM’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Group

INSIGHT— Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole

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INSIGHT

2

Debate on definitions
must not hinder progress

T
FACING CHANGE: Insights from AAM’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Grouphe proliferation of diversity and inclusion
initiatives across sectors virtually guarantees
that there will be debate about the terms ofengagement. Clear definitions keep us on the same
page and allow us to move forward. Although there aremany definitions of diversity, equity, accessibility, andinclusion, the working group agreed upon a set thatbest capture our beliefs.

Diversity is all the ways that people aredifferent and the same at the individual and grouplevels. Even when people appear the same, they
are different. Organizational diversity requires
examining and questioning the makeup of a group to
ensure that multiple perspectives are represented.
WHY THIS DEFINITION?

Our definition of diversity moves toward opportunities
for groups to continually question whether they
have adequate representation to make equitable
programmatic, hiring, governance, financial, and otherdecisions. Any individual will have multiple identities
and experiences. What it means to be diverse, inpractice, will vary depending on the organization.

Equity is the fair and just treatment of all

members of a community. Equity requires
commitment to strategic priorities, resources,
respect, and civility, as well as ongoing action
and assessment of progress toward achieving
specified goals.4
WHY THIS DEFINITION?

Equity is the goal of our work. It requires deliberateattention to more than matters of recruitment,
hiring, compensation, promotion, and retention.
Equity includes governance, representation, andother indicators of power. It is, collectively, a step
toward recognizing past exclusion and achieving
genuine inclusion.
Equity is not the natural state of things. We mustdeliberately apply time, resources, and considerationto achieve this goal. In addition, our museums must
develop relationships of trust and understanding.

Accessibility is giving equitable access toeveryone along the continuum of human ability
and experience. Accessibility encompasses thebroader meanings of compliance and refers to how
organizations make space for the characteristics thateach person brings.
WHY THIS DEFINITION?

The definition of accessibility is broadening beyond
public accommodations and job opportunities. It’s notjust about the physical environment: it’s about access toand representation in content for all.
We must integrate those concerns into the definitions.
Our understandings of accessibility include the legal
definitions and provisions of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, but we’re striving for inclusive design.5
We want to go beyond compliance.

Inclusion refers to the intentional, ongoing

effort to ensure that diverse individuals fully
participate in all aspects of organizational work,
including decision-making processes. It also refers
to the ways that diverse participants are valued
as respected members of an organization and/or community. While a truly “inclusive” group isnecessarily diverse, a “diverse” group may or may
not be “inclusive.”6
WHY THIS DEFINITION?

We need museums in which diverse participants are
truly integrated and valued as respected membersof the organization and/or community, beyond token
participation and authority. The measure and successof inclusion must include the perspectives of thedisenfranchised.

CALL TO ACTION
You can cite these definitions in your appeals to
grant makers, your evaluation work, and your own
inclusion planning. Share how you have used orrevised them with AAM via social media or the
Alliance Labs site.

Source: http://institutionaldiversityblog.com
Our definition is guided by the principle of inclusive design, which aims to address barriers typically overlooked in the design process.
6
Source: www.d5coalition.org
4

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3

Inclusion is central to the effectivenessand sustainability of museumsO

ur institutions’ viability and financial
sustainability depends largely on our ability to
be relevant, magnetic, and inclusive. Museums
will need to cultivate effective practices for managing
change to continue to do our work. The working groupagreed that the purpose of discussing DEAI in thecontext of organizational sustainability is not to justify
museum equity efforts—at base, equity is the rightthing to do. Rather, we wanted to frame the discussion
for those seeking to express the financial implicationsof DEAI in addition to the social and moral imperatives.
Through their exhibitions and programs, museums
provide spaces for reflection, community-building,and inspiration. They offer resources that help visitors
learn and grow. They also bolster local and national
economies—to the tune of $50 billion in GDP in the
United States in 2016, according to recent researchby AAM and Oxford Economics.7 But, despite thiswide reach, museums’ workforces and audiences
continue to be plagued by inequalities. Although nonwhite people make up 23 percent of the overall US
population,8 they comprise only 9 percent of museum
visitorship.9 African Americans hold only 4 percent of
the leadership positions in US art museums; Latinx
professionals hold only 3 percent of total leadershipjobs in the sector.10 The 2017 Museum Board Leadership
report, published by AAM in partnership with nonprofit
leadership organization BoardSource, revealed that46 percent of museum boards are all white. Compare
these statistics to national trends: demographic data
indicate an increasingly broadening spectrum ofability, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race,and ethnicity in the United States. If museums want tocontinue to receive the trust and economic support ofthe public, they will need to reflect the diversity of thecommunities they serve.
Research emphasizing the value of inclusion abounds.
Across industries, diverse teams have been shown tobe more profitable than homogenous ones. Writingfor Harvard Business Review, Stony Brook University
Professor of Technology and Society Todd L. Pittinsky
explained that organizations in which difference is
not merely tolerated but embraced are more likely
to demonstrate “open communication, feelings ofinclusion, mentoring across genders and ethnicity,and ‘bringing one’s whole self to work.’” He asserted
that organizational culture “plays a key role insustained innovation.”11
Working group cochair Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole
compellingly expressed the business case for diversity
and inclusion in her keynote address at the 2015 AAM
Annual Meeting. Speaking on the theme of “TheSocial Value of Museums: Inspiring Change,” Dr. Coleasserted that “if businesses are to compete effectively
in this global economy, they must have within theircompany employees of diverse backgrounds whowill bring different and innovative ideas to the table.”
Drawing on US Census data and demographic trends,
she stressed that “in the next 30 years, the US will
become a majority minority country with white folks nolonger in the majority.” Dr. Cole also reminded readersthat the future of philanthropy will be influenced byincreasing racial and ethnic diversity, with funders
prioritizing efforts that positively affect historicallyunderrepresented populations.12 Diversity, equity,
accessibility, and inclusion make both moral andfinancial sense for museums in today’s climate of rapidsocial and demographic change.

CALL TO ACTION
While research on inclusion and sustainability
abounds in the private sector, there is a greatneed for accurate benchmarking information andresearch about DEAI in the museum field. You
can take steps to fill in this picture by highlighting
successes in your museum to demonstrate thateveryone is enriched by this work.

FACING CHANGE: Insights from AAM’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Group

INSIGHTMuseums as Economic Engines: A National Study, commissioned by AAM and conducted by Oxford Economics, 2017
U.S. Census Bureau. QuickFacts. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau.
9
Demographic Transformation and the Future of Museums, The AAM Press, American Association of Museums, 2010
10
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation: Art Museum Staff Demographic Survey, 2015
11
Harvard Business Review, 2016
12
Keynote address by Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, 2015 AAM Annual Meeting
7

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INSIGHT

4

Systemic change is vital to long-term,
genuine progress

D
FACING CHANGE: Insights from AAM’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Groupiversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion arepart of a wider discussion about power andprivilege. Not only can museums encourage
diversity, they can stop discouraging diversity. Thisfocus on what museums can actively and intentionallydo—or avoid doing—is at the heart of systemic change.
Inclusion requires an institutional orientation toward
listening. It requires a willingness to invest in equity
just as enthusiastically as we invest in our operations.
Although personal work is a crucial part of the process,museum equity is ultimately sustained through change
at the structural level. By prioritizing inclusion in theircore operations, museums can ensure that progress is
not just cosmetic or temporary but embedded into thesystems that make them function.
The most effective tools for creating systemic change
will vary according to each museum’s size, budget,
mission, and collections. However, addressing issuesof power and unequal access within the workplace iscritical. A diverse board and staff is a logical output of
becoming more accessible, inclusive, and equitable.
Museum boards, directors, and staff should ask
the following questions across functions and areasof practice:■■ Does the museum have an institution-wide

diversity plan?
■■ How do collections, exhibitions, and research reflectmarginalized communities?
■■ Who does the museum partner with?
■■ Does the museum partner with vendors who

are members of underrepresented groups?
■■ How do we reach those who aren’t

supportive of equity?
Broadening the pathways to employment helps create
systemic change in the museum workplace. If unpaid
internships are a prerequisite for gaining the experienceand connections needed to secure a museum job,then people who can afford to work for free will riseto the top of the candidate pool. Financial support,
including paid internships and housing and living

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The AAM LGBTQ Welcoming Guidelines for Museums
exemplify how museums can effect systemic change topromote the equitable inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer communities in all facets ofmuseum operations. Modeled on the AAM Standardsof Excellence, these guidelines outline strategies formuseums to support LGBTQ inclusion at the structurallevel. They provide a “resource to effect change atinstitutions that serve LGBTQ persons and families andemploy LGBTQ staff and contractors.” 13 The guidelines’
checklists and assessment tools detail practical plans formaking museums accountable to LGBTQ staff, board
members, volunteers, and visitors.

stipends, helps ensure that people without adequate
funds have an equal shot at entering the hiring
pipeline. Likewise, targeted recruiting efforts—toward
historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs)
and underrepresented student organizations at
predominantly white institutions (PWIs), for example—
can raise awareness of museums as a career option for
those who might not have considered it.
Systemic change cannot occur without an accountability
framework, whereby museum leadership, staff, boards,
and communities hold each other responsible forpromoting inclusion. Museums with the resources to
do so can hire people in leadership positions to drive
DEAI work. Internal inclusion teams and committees inmuseum service organizations can also help maintainaccountability.

CALL TO ACTION
You can discuss the questions listed above in yourstaff and board retreats or in team meetings. If you
don’t do so already, you can collect demographic
information about your board, staff, and visitors
to benchmark inclusion in your museum andmeasure change over time.

Source: https://www.aam-us.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/lgbtq_welcome_guide.pdf

INSIGHT

5

Empowered, inclusive leadership isessential at all levels of an organization

I

Museums have a stake in this expanded leadership.
When a museum empowers its staff, executives, andtrustees to prioritize inclusive practices, it generates aculture of inclusion that radiates through the institution
and into the community.
For inclusion to become part of a museum’s culture,
it is essential for paid, volunteer, and executive staff todevelop the skills for authentic, inclusive leadership.
To accomplish this goal, museums can:■■ highlight successes and reward team members foroutstanding inclusion efforts■■ provide training for emerging professionals■■ establish employee resource groups■■ build staff and community coalitions toaddress barriers
Inclusive leadership does not mean simply creating a
position and expecting that one person will do all thework. It does not mean allowing those professionals
who are already doing the work to continue to do soin isolation. It does not mean expecting membersof marginalized and historically underrepresented
groups to perform the emotional labor of teaching theircolleagues how to be inclusive. It does not mean simply
managing diversity. It does not mean designating the
responsibility for inclusion work to younger, seasonal,
or contract workers.

14

Photo courtesy of Jopwell

Today’s market environment places a premiumon speed, flexibility, and the ability to leadin uncertain situations. At the same time,
the flattening of organizations has createdan explosion in demand for leadership skills
at every level.14

Inclusive leadership means respectfully listening toopinions that challenge the norm. It means trusting
the wisdom of less senior, less well-paid, or temporary
staff. It means setting inclusive design—and not just
ADA compliance—as a benchmark. It means making
inclusion the business of all involved in the museum’s
operations, from the board of trustees to the director
and the staff.

CALL TO ACTION
Museum boards and leadership can prioritize
inclusion in the strategic planning processor through a separate inclusion plan. Museum
professionals across functions can share nextpractices and best-known actions related to
DEAI with colleagues.

FACING CHANGE: Insights from AAM’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Groupn a 2014 paper evaluating leadership trends, themultinational management firm Deloitte advocatedthe importance of cultivating leaders at every level ofan organization. Its authors explain:

Global Human Capital Trends 2014: Engaging the 21st Century Workplace, Deloitte Consulting LLP and Bersin by Deloitte, 201411

FACING CHANGE: Insights from AAM’s Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Working Group12

Conclusion
Museums hold a unique and trusted place in society. They reveal the power of
ecological, artistic, and human diversity. In our current moment of rapid politicaland social change, museums remind us that beauty and justice are both fragile
and resilient. The struggle for equity in our field—and in our society at large—
precedes the working group’s convenings by many, many decades and will
demand our vigilance in the decades to come.
There is much to be done, and the markers of success will not necessarily be
the traditional ones. Measuring numbers of employees or ticking off visible
signs of human difference is simply not sufficient. Expanding diversity, equity,
accessibility, and inclusion requires a constant evaluation of whose voices arebeing represented or silenced. As the introduction to this report emphasizes,
inclusion is a process. But the insights shared here point us to a path forward.

“Not everything that is
faced can be changed,
but nothing can bechanged until it is faced.”—James Baldwin,
writer and social critic

Resources
For a full list of additional tools to help you and your museum plan
for and support diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion initiatives,
please check out the resource library on the Alliance website.

© 2018 American Alliance of Museums
2451 Crystal Drive, Suite 1005 n Arlington, VA 22202
www.aam-us.org