Across the nation, we are deeply shaken and distressed by the death of George Floyd and the widespread injustice towards the Black community. In light of current events and the national reckoning with deeply-rooted systemic racism in our country, it is vital and urgent to explore these issues in relation to museums and cultural institutions, both internally and in the context of supporting communities, serving diverse populations, and creating social impact.
This Monday, over 1,700 people joined Dan Sullivan (Head of Partnerships @ Cuseum), Kevin Thomas (Senior Manager, Membership and Annual Fund @ National Museum of African American History and Culture), Jeanette O’Bryant (Development Officer @ National Civil Rights Museum) & Ash Harris (VP of Guest Experience @ San Antonio Zoo) for a discussion that situated the national situation in the context of museums and culture. As membership, development, and guest services professionals, the panelists offered unique perspectives on how cultural organizations can renew their commitments to diversity, inclusion, and community support in this current moment and going forward.
Watch the full recording here.
Here are a few of the biggest takeaways from the conversation.
Create Programming that Meets Community Needs End-to-End
One of the most common ways to open up your museum to your community and diverse constituents is to offer free and reduced-priced programming (especially family-friendly programming!) that meets their needs end-to-end. For example, Ash Harris at San Antonio Zoo mentioned that his organization has been providing reduced admission for children in local districts to ensure access for everyone in their community
He also highlighted the Children’s Museum of Houston’s work in community engagement. The Children’s Museum of Houston hosts free family nights promoting different cultures with live cultural music. These types of events can start this dialogue and offer opportunities to support and include underserved communities. Kevin Thomas at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and other partner institutions offered special Monday Morning events for members to bring family and friends to learn more about their exhibit, mission, and more
However, in addition to events, it is also important to think about the experience from end-to-end and look to ways your organization can play a deeper role within the community. Jeanette O’Bryant at the National Civil Rights Museum mentioned that her museum provides grants for schools to underwrite opportunities for students to visit, but that is just one piece of the puzzle. She found that sometimes schools lacked the transportation to visit the museum and started to figure this overall equation into the grant process.
“Figure out what you want to provide, but also figure out what is needed. You can offer a free day, but they might not have a way to get there, which can pose another problem. Look through what will work best for your community.”
– Jeanette O’Bryant
Kevin agreed and added.
“We might offer free events for our community, but there might be economic, social issues that prevent people from coming, so it might not solve the whole issue.”
– Kevin Thomas
There is no question that museums can host creative, appealing, and welcoming events, but it is essential to consider these offerings from end-to-end to ensure that there are no barriers in the way of reaching the communities of all kinds.
Invest in the Training of Front-Line Staff
To ensure that your organization is welcoming to diverse groups of people and cultures, it is important that frontline staff are trained accordingly. To approach the training process effectively, Ash Harris suggested providing “LEAD” training: Listen, Empathize, Apologize, Deliver.
“Listen and Empathize. Those are the two key messages that I train and talk about with our front-line staff. If they do that, the relationship and dialogue they have with any guest is a lot better.”
– Ash Harris
Jeanette also stated that “empathy is huge.” Organizations can teach front-line staff to be empathetic and establish the right kind of connectivity with visitors. Especially at an organization like the National Civil Rights Museum, where visitors may have eye-opening experiences or need to process complex and difficult information, it is vital that front-line staff are trained to respond to guests with empathy and care.
Consider Social Media and Membership Swaps
Social media can be a great, low-cost way to educate and deliver appealing and engaging content for the members and audiences of all kinds. In the context of our recent times and a desire to show solidarity and support for organizations that focus on different groups and cultural communities, Ash Harris suggested incorporating a social media takeover, where organizations could allow another organization to take over their social media and post about their organization.
“For an organization like mine that is not an African American institution, there are still opportunities to connect and provide services to the community for this social injustice.”
–Ash Harris
He was able to post about San Antonio Zoo’s commitment to stand against racism to highlight their mission to “LEAP”: Love, Engage with, Act for, Protect Each Other. Social media can be a great way to emphasize the organization’s values and stand against injustice.
Another way to deepen partnerships and reach more diverse communities is by arranging a member swap with another organization. The San Antonio Zoo and The DoSeum had a member swap in September 2017 where both organization’s members had the ability to visit the other museum for free.
Both San Antonio Zoo and The DoSeum use Cuseum Digital Membership Cards, which can make guests’ visits and membership swaps easier and more accessible!
Practice Kindness to Your Colleagues and Community
In a moment like now, it’s important not to underestimate the significance of kindness. In a TED Talk mentioned by Ash Harris, Drew Dudley speaks of what he calls “the lollipop moment,” where someone changed someone else's life without even realizing it. Ash shared that it can be beneficial to first look into yourself and figure out what you can do personally. This can be anything from communicating with your team and those outside of work, talking to the HR department, educating yourself through different resources, and extending kindness to everyone.
In consideration of the current national dialogue, each panelist offered some helpful resources published by their organizations for the public to continue the conversation about racial injustice. Jeanette spoke about her Unpacking Racism Series, which deals with racial tension and unconscious bias. Kevin shared NMAAHC's “Talking about Race” portal to give people the opportunity to explore the topic of race in various contexts. More timely than ever, the essay “Flies in the Buttermilk: Museums, Diversity, and The Will to Change,” written by Lonnie Bunch, the current Secretary of The Smithsonian, was highlighted as an important piece to read. With these resources, organizations can learn and be equipped to create a more inclusive environment.
More than ever, it is vital to take the necessary steps to provide support for community members who have historically been underrepresented and underserved. While there is no easy answer and there is lots of work to be done, now is the time to open up a new dialogue, internally and externally, about what your museum or cultural organization can do to ensure you’re providing a welcoming, and supportive environment for all visitors and potential members in your community and beyond.
Looking for more information? Check out our Coronavirus Resources page.