CCLI National Landscape Study: the State of DEAI Practices in Museums
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CCLI National Landscape Study: The State of DEAI Practices in Museums Cecilia Garibay and Jeanne Marie Olson Foreword This study represents a significant moment in the movement to center diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) practice across museum operations. As this was the first- ever study of its kind, the CCLI (Cultural Competence Learning Institute) leadership team spent a full year developing the framework and questions to ensure that a study of this scope and aspiration could serve as a strong foundation for the entire museum field, with an aim of CCLI helps museum leaders catalyze beginning to build shared expectations and metrics on what DEAI practice in museums can diversity and inclusion efforts in their and should look like. institutions, working with museums of all types and sizes to center equity in their Data collection for this survey ended in late 2019, and our view of the landscape for organizational practice. dissemination was one in which museums were preparing to enter their busiest season for visitation in the summer of 2020. Then in March 2020, the world changed for us all— It is a partnership between four individually and institutionally—as the catastrophic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic swept organizations: across the globe. • Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose At the time of this report’s publication, the pandemic continues to stress health care systems, • Association of Children’s Museums take lives, lay bare disparities and social injustices, and cause deep economic impact across households, communities, and institutions. While the world and our world views have certainly • Association of Science and Technology shifted as a result of this new pandemic reality, we believe the findings in this report still speak Centers to our original aspirations of supporting equitable, inclusive, and accessible practices • Garibay Group throughout all aspects of museums. Looking ahead, we hope that the findings presented here will provide clarity and identify opportunities for museums working to center equity and This study was the collective effort of inclusion. CCLI. The American Alliance of Museums was also a critical partner. CCLI is funded in part through the generous support of the Institute for Museum and Library Services. CCLI National Landscape Study: The State of DEAI Practices in Museums | 2020 2 Table of Contents Introduction 4 What is the CCLI Landscape Study? 4 An Organizational Change Approach 5 Executive Summary 7 Study Framework 9 Study Design & Methods 10 CCLI Landscape Survey Respondents 12 Summary of Findings By Dimension 14 Findings Dimension 1: DEAI Vision and Values 19 Dimension 2: Leadership 24 Dimension 3: Governance 28 Dimension 4: Resources 30 Dimension 5: People and Operations 33 Dimension 6: Vendor Diversity 43 Dimension 7: Community Centered Engagement 45 Dimension 8: Services and Products 55 Challenges & Needed Supports 65 This project was made possible in part by Conclusions 72 the Institute of Museum and Library Steps Forward 75 Services grants MP-00-12-0021 and MG- 10-17-0040-17. References 76 Appendices 81 Cover: Mirror Abstract, Jett Brooks, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode CCLI National Landscape Study: The State of DEAI Practices in Museums | 2020 3 Introduction Diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion What is the CCLI Landscape Study? Definitions (DEAI) have become central concerns for This study investigated the current state of Diversity: The ways in which human beings are museums. Across the field, leaders are DEAI practices in the museum field in the similar and different, including but not limited to asking—with increasing urgency—how U.S. It is the first field-wide study across identities, social positions, lived experiences, museums can diversify their visitors, staff, multiple sectors of its kind. As such, it is also values, and beliefs. and boards; create welcoming and inclusive an experiment. We consider this study an environments and workplaces; and ensure early effort to map the landscape. Equity: Fair access to resources that advances social justice by allowing for full participation in that museum offerings reflect a broad range society and self-determination in meeting of interests, experiences, and needs. Our intention is that study findings provide fundamental needs. This requires addressing insight into what is already being done and structural and historical barriers and systems of Museums have approached DEAI efforts in what more can be done to create change. oppression. different ways and at different levels, from More specifically, we strove to: developing special exhibits and events for Accessibility: Ensuring equitable access to • Better understand the current state of specific audiences to offering staff diversity everyone along the continuum of human ability DEAI practices in the field; training to board development. Despite more and experience. • Describe practices that appear to drive or than three decades of discussion about Inclusion: A culture that creates an environment DEAI, however, our organizations still inhibit DEAI efforts; of involvement, respect, and connection in wrestle with questions about where to focus, • Share key trends regarding both “bright which the richness of diverse ideas, how to gauge success, and how to make spots” and common challenges; backgrounds, and perspectives is valued. changes “stick” so that these efforts endure beyond one person, project, or program. As • Foster conversation in the field about what Community: The broad range of stakeholders a field we lack a clear picture of where more can be done to advance DEAI within and outside the museum walls. This museums are putting forth effort. How do efforts; includes but is not limited to, staff, volunteers, museums, for example, prioritize DEAI? visitors, residents of the local area, vendors, • Identify what types of supports and funders, among many others. What activities and practices are most resources may be needed. prevalent? Where are museums making Throughout this report, we have tried to be inroads operationalizing DEAI into the Our hope is that this report can serve as a specific in our language in descriptions of foundational principles of museum work? springboard for conversations about the specific subgroups of community stakeholders. current state of DEAI practices and We use the terms “non-dominant group,” This study emerged from these questions opportunities to move forward. “under-represented group” or “marginalized and from the recognition that we can not groups/communities” to include ethnic minority, support what works (or change what does female, immigrant, and other social groups who not) until we better understand the current historically have not held positions of systemic power in U.S. political, cultural, educational, landscape. and corporate enterprises (Bevan, et al., 2018). CCLI National Landscape Study: The State of DEAI Practices in Museums | 2020 4 An Organizational Change Approach Examining issues related to diversity, equity, Taking an organizational change approach Substantive change or accessibility, and inclusion in the spaces toward DEAI shifts the focus from positioning transformation requires a true where we work requires us to examine our these efforts as the work of only a few own biases, prejudices, and assumptions. individuals or departments to being the systems approach—an intervention That inward work, which shapes our personal foundational work of an entire organization. in “business as usual” that engages and work relationships as well as our work all the key relevant dimensions of identities, is critical in changing how we learn Focusing at the organizational level helps us to see and define the organizational problems examine and understand how different organizational life.—Gass, 2014 for which we seek solutions. components of an organization work (or do not work) in concert to support diversity, equity, Any defensiveness or inability to reflect on our accessibility, and inclusion. An organizational own behavior (and how it often inadvertently change approach can also be useful in contributes to or supports organizational mapping where DEAI efforts are particularly behavior that we seek to change) can be one strong and where gaps exist. of the most enduring barriers to achieving change (Argyris, 1991). We acknowledge that Working to align the various elements of an the field is not likely to get beyond ‘diversity as organization ultimately improves the likelihood a project’ without this important inward work. of creating sustainable change (Martins & Coetzee, 2009). However, this study is not about individual change. This study focuses on organizational change and specifically examining the many organizational variables that can promote or inhibit authentic equitable practices in individual institutions and in the museum field. CCLI National Landscape Study: The State of DEAI Practices in Museums | 2020 5 Executive Summary CCLI National Landscape Study: The State of DEAI Practices in Museums | 2020 6 Executive Summary 1. Museums report that DEAI is an organizational priority but have not taken strategic, consistent action at an organizational level foundational enough to support and achieve enduring equity and inclusion. While a large majority of respondents (90%) report that DEAI is an essential or relatively high priority and most (73%) report that boards understand the importance of DEAI, less than half (48%) have DEAI action plans and 89% have not established