Racial Equity Progress Report
The paper presents a detailed roadmap for the Speed Art Museum to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within their institutional framework as part of their mission to engage with art. The museum commits to meeting or exceeding Jefferson County's non-white employment percentages by 2025, with a specific focus on increasing Black employment across all three levels. Additionally, the museum aims to use industry/regional benchmarks for compensation and internal reporting on compensation compared to regional living wage standards. The Boards of the Speed, together with the Governance Committee, are committed to having non-White membership that exceeds the non-White population of the MSA by 2025, with a specific emphasis on Black members.
The museum plans to address historical underrepresentation by developing a Collection Development Plan with specific strategies and goals for acquiring work by historically underrepresented artists. Moreover, they intend to feature exhibitions and works by BIPOC artists in percentages that meet or exceed their representation in Jefferson County. The museum also aims to diversify its docent corps, hoping to have BIPOC docents make up more than 10% of the total by 2025.
Community Outreach and Collection Initiatives
Through their Community Outreach work, the museum commits to engaging with organizations that serve non-White communities, particularly those serving Title 1 schools. They are also focused on reaffirming their commitment to their African and Native American collections through various initiatives like loans, recontextualizing and presenting the permanent collection in new ways, and exploring collection growth opportunities. Moreover, the museum has initiated provenance and provenience research for objects in their African and Native American collections and is studying best practices for potential repatriation of artworks.
Focus on DEAI Processes and Training
To further their efforts, the Speed Museum is in the process of hiring their first Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging to focus on DEAI processes across the institution. Regular training on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, including Implicit Bias and Antiracism Training, is scheduled twice annually for all employees. The museum is also actively reviewing salary levels for bias and fostering a personnel work group to support the Human Resources department and complete a racial equity audit of positions and salaries by the end of 2022.
Equity and Inclusion Practices and Acknowledgment
The museum has also developed systems for collecting demographic information from vendors, programming partners, and living artists, ensuring fair and equitable payment practices for all contracted individuals. They are committed to engaging in deep listening to improve their efforts and welcome questions or feedback regarding the initiatives presented in the report. Lastly, the paper emphasizes the museum's commitment to acknowledging the history of its founders and the land it occupies, including the development of a Land Acknowledgment Statement showing respect for the Indigenous Peoples who occupied the land on which the Speed sits.
