The Leadership Imperative: A Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Primer for Museum Boards

Posted on Dec 22, 2020

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The current pandemic has exposed and exacerbated many inequities across society that were previously not as visible to many of us. There are a growing number of conversations taking place across the country regarding diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI), as well as racial justice. The museum field is no exception.

Over several decades, museum leaders have lamented the lack of diversity in their museums. Myriad outreach programs, including those aimed at building pipelines of diverse museum professionals and pathways to draw in different perspectives, have tried and largely failed to truly embed DEAI in all aspects of museums’ structure and programming. It continues to be a struggle for most to diversify who visits, who works in and leads, and who governs museums.

AAM President and CEO Laura Lott and AAM’s Director of Inclusion Andrew Plumley host a primer webinar presentation and Q&A exploring these topics further:

Research making the case for DEAI as a strategic leadership imperative
Defining excellence in DEAI in museums
The role of museum boards in DEAI
Resources for museum boards to get started at the board and organizational level

Resources cited in this webinar:

4:29-Museums as Economic Engines

5:00-AAM Strategic Plan

10:27-DEAI Group Agreements

17:00-Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture

19:54-Museums most Trusted

22:08- Learn More about the Excellence in DEAI Task Force

23:45-Business Case for Diversity

24:32-Leading with Intent- National Report on Museum Board Leadership

25:13-CCLI National Landscape Study: The State of DEAI Practice in Museums

26:12-The Role of Race on Board Recruitment

28:40-Board Member Recruiting and Onboarding Guide