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Lead Article, May 2021

By AIC News posted 05-04-2021 13:36

  
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​​​EIC Calls for Structural Inequity Changes

By Anya Dani, Anisha Gupta, and the Equity & Inclusion Committee

The Equity & Inclusion Committee (EIC) is actively working to combat structural inequity within AIC in partnership with individual members, AIC and FAIC staff and boards, and volunteer leaders committed to this work. The dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice have laid bare the unjust structures and systems that affect every corner of our society, which have repeatedly failed people from marginalized groups. The conservation field is not immune to structural racism. In fact, it should be expected that inequitable structures are embedded into our field given our history founded on western standards and colonialism. Although this article focuses on AIC, many of the themes can be applied more broadly to cultural heritage organizations and institutions.

It is common knowledge that the demographics of the conservation field do not reflect the diversity of our society and this is borne out by demographic data (Figures 2 and 3). Even if unintentional, AIC’s decisions and culture have resulted in people from historically underrepresented groups feeling either indifferent to or (worse) not welcome in the organization. AIC must evolve in order to stay relevant.

EIC members believe that increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in conservation is not only morally just but is necessary to ensure that our workforce and audience are reflective of diversity within our society. In cultural heritage institutions, conservators often act as gatekeepers, determining who has access to collections, how much access, and under what conditions. If we harness this power and break down existing barriers, we can replace these gatekeeping structures with new, inclusive structures that center people in our decision making. This will require structural change at all levels.



Figure 1. Membership Demographics graph. Figure credit: Katelin Lee, AIC Staff Liaison to EIC.
Figure 1 shows data from the September 2019 Member Satisfaction Survey, which was sent to all individual members; 19% of 3,285 members participated in the survey. The term BIPOC refers to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. While demographic data is collected with most surveys created by AIC, this is the most recent survey that also asked participants about their membership type, which is why it is used here. As with any survey where individuals may self-select in, this information may not be wholly representative of the membership. In order to make the demographic question more inclusive, members were given the option to select multiple choices and also to opt out of the question or provide additional information. This led to some answers being unclear as to how the respondent might identify.


 Figure 2. Estimated BIPOC representation graph. Figure credit: Katelin Lee, AIC Staff Liaison to EIC.
Figure 2 shows more information from the September 2019 Member Satisfaction Survey. Using the number of PAs and Fellows who chose a characterization that falls within the umbrella term BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) compared to the total number of PAs and Fellows, the graph shows an estimate of roughly 89 of 999 PAs (9%) and 12 of 275 Fellows (4%) are BIPOC. This is not intended to be a precise counting of BIPOC representation in either membership category, but an extrapolated estimate. Worth noting: If this information is accurate, BIPOC PAs are only 3% of the membership and BIPOC Fellows are only 0.4% of the membership. Overall, PAs represent 33% of AIC’s membership and Fellows 9% of the membership.


In order to commence discussion about comprehensive structural change within AIC, EIC organized a session titled, “Creating an Equitable & Inclusive Environment Within Your Organization,” facilitated by Dr. Brea Heidelberg (Associate Professor, Drexel University and Equity Consultant, ISO Arts Consulting) prior to the November 2020 AIC Internal Advisory Group (IAG) Meeting. The session, open to IAG participants, focused on the need for change at the organizational level in order to achieve DEIA goals. Participants included specialty group, network, and committee leaders, JAIC, AIC News, and web editors, the AIC Board, and AIC and FAIC staff. Dr. Heidelberg defined organizational culture as “the values and associated manifestations of those values that create an organization’s social and psychological environment.” Organizational culture includes codified rules, interpersonal interactions, and decision-making processes. All of these organizational norms make a statement about what we truly value as an organization. The session stressed that DEIA work is not the purview of EIC alone and must be an organization-wide effort in order to be successful.

When assessing AIC’s organizational culture, we should also examine who and what are missing in conversations, spaces, and considerations. Some much-needed changes require the lengthier process of altering our Bylaws or Code of Ethics. However, other rules that we think of as hard and fast may be vestiges from an earlier time and no longer serve their original well-meaning purposes. For many years, only PAs and Fellows were allowed to vote in elections, but in 1997 elections were opened up to Associate members, expanding voting rights to all three primary member categories. Looking ahead, when creating the structures for new committees and task forces, we are not well served by replicating existing models such as including Fellow membership designation requirements to be able to serve, and prioritizing specialty diversity over ethnic diversity. Requiring such considerations for new committees/task forces are not written into AIC’s Bylaws. Over time these practices have contributed to the exclusion of key voices from historically underrepresented groups (consider Figure 2). To combat this in our committee, EIC recently revised our charge to remove professional designation requirements, instead defining diversity of our committee members in broader terms than had been previously used. We suggest that all AIC committees and groups look for both small and large changes they can make to their organizational documents in order to increase DEIA.

Resources to Learn More


Several resources provide data to support this article. Learn more about Western standards and colonialism in museums, including a focus on demographics:

As Dr. Heidelberg explained, “systems replicate and protect themselves (see Figure 3).” Structural change at the organizational level has the potential to be more impactful than individual change alone. Changing structures and then instituting accountability measures is the best way to prevent people from reverting to past practices, which naturally feel more comfortable to them.

Figure 3. A slide is from Dr. Brea Heidelberg’s presentation (isoartsconsulting.com).

Structural change can work in tandem with outreach programs and DEIA training. If we simply try to recruit people from marginalized communities into conservation but do not make internal changes within the profession, then recruitment will continue to be difficult and retention rates for conservators of color will remain low. Structural racism is our reality, and everyone must take responsibility to make change. Making structural investments in equity now will lead to long-term, sustainable improvements in the diversity of our field. In alignment with our strategic plan, EIC members have been examining and working to change inequitable systems within AIC. Structural change is especially important to achieve our following two goals (from the strategic plan):

  • Goal I: Foster an Inclusive and Welcoming Organizational Culture
  • Goal IV: Integrate DEIA into all AIC Programs

We have learned quickly that real change cannot happen if DEIA is seen as a separate endeavor from the “main” work of AIC. Instead, we advocate for a complete overhaul and value shift that is reflected in AIC’s organizational and guiding documents, such as the Bylaws, Code of Ethics, policies, rules of order, strategic plans, and others. In 2020, EIC worked with the AIC General Session Program Committee and the Nominating Committee to revise their guidelines. The process included asking questions such as: 

  • What is the makeup of the committee? How are we defining diversity?
  • What barriers exist within the abstract review guidelines? Do the guidelines encourage people from diverse backgrounds to participate? Do they encourage presenters to discuss diverse topics?
  • From where and how are we recruiting committee members and abstract submissions? Is inclusive language being used in these advertisements?
  • Are we creating a welcoming environment for committee members and presenters from underrepresented groups? 

We commend members of these committees who are working to enact change. An example of how changes have been incorporated into review criteria can be seen in the revised annual meeting’s Abstract Review Guidelines. EIC is always open to collaborate with AIC specialty groups and committees, and we encourage groups to form their own DEIA plans that address their particular needs.

In moving forward to enact change, Dr. Heidelberg challenged us to reframe our questions. Generally, one might ask why we need to adjust our standard practice to include a new person or group in a conversation. For example, why do we need to change our current practices in order to include people from a certain underrepresented group in a conversation? Instead, reframe the question and ask yourself why that group should be or has been excluded. You might find it harder to justify why a group of people should be excluded from a conversation.

Regardless of our intentions, the composition of our membership and leadership shows that current AIC policies are excluding people as represented by demographic data. We must be introspective and identify structures that are causing barriers to inclusion. Ask yourself what sort of barriers or biases may exist in the hiring of AIC staff, vendor selection, recruitment for volunteer positions, the abstract review process, and in membership designation policies, among others. 

These barriers cannot be identified and remedied without involving those people who have been historically excluded from the conversation. BIPOC conservators, conservators with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ conservators, and conservators from disadvantaged backgrounds can help identify these barriers as they are the ones who have been negatively affected by them. However, some marginalized conservators may distrust AIC despite our sincere efforts. Given our history, they have every right to be distrustful; reengaging them will require meaningful action. As Dr. Melanie Adams stated in the FAIC webinar series on Social Justice and Conservation, we must “work at the speed of trust.”
Discussions with conservators from underrepresented groups need to be part of a sincere dialogue, engaged in relational, not transactional, interactions. Providing feedback and input is emotional labor that we are not entitled to; we are given it as a gift from those who want to better us and our organization. Building accountability and transparency into this work will help create an environment of trust. Transparency about what changes are being made, why they are being made, and who is involved in the process is crucial to this labor. We must work with marginalized conservators to set clear goals, evaluation parameters, and measurements for accountability.

EIC Online
Learn more about the Equity & Inclusion Committee and their activities:
  › Committee & Roster
  › Resources & Activities


EIC calls for bold and immediate action to significantly increase the diversity of the AIC Board, FAIC Board, and in AIC volunteer leadership positions. Rethinking Fellow designation requirements for committees is a good first step in creating an inclusive culture. We must continue examining our structures to eliminate barriers and be open to members of all backgrounds, such as adopting significantly more accessibility accommodations as part of our standard practice and advocating for better pay throughout the profession. These are issues of equity that disproportionately affect women and people of color.

Racism is so entrenched in the western cultural heritage sector that it has often gone unnoticed by the majority of professionals. However, as we saw in the July 2021 statement “Join Black Conservators and Demand Racial Justice in Art Conservation,” those of us from underrepresented groups have noticed. Real change can only happen when diverse voices are present at the table and are engaged in leadership positions. We end with a quote by Jona Olsson from her article “Detour-Spotting For White Anti-Racists,” which demonstrates the importance of everyone working collectively towards the goal of anti-racism:

"People of color will continue to demand their rights, opportunities and full personhood. But racism in North America won’t end because people of color demand it. Racism will only end when a significant number of white people of conscience, the people who can wield systemic privilege and power with integrity, find the will and take the action to dismantle it. That won’t happen until white people find racism in our daily consciousness as often as people of color do. For now, we have to drag racism into our consciousness intentionally, for unlike our sisters and brothers of color, the most present daily manifestation of our white privilege is the possibility of forgetting about racism."

AIC must regain the support of conservators of color and must demonstrate a clear, long-term commitment to eliminating discrimination. This is a long process, but with collective action equitable structures can become normalized, and EIC is committed to the work. What a freeing feeling it would be for inclusivity and equity to become the norm!

̶ Anya Dani, anya.dani@yahoo.com, and Anisha Gupta, anishagupta127@gmail.com, with members of the Equity and Inclusion Committee


Resources for Examining Structural Racism and Enacting Organizational Change

 
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