Talking about diversity is nothing new to us in the arts and cultural world. But to realize the fruits of these conversations, we need to move beyond the idea of diversity to a deeper level of understanding and respect for ourselves and others.
With the seismic shifts in the demographics of our nation, our cities and our communities, issues of diversity are ever important. Talking about diversity is nothing new to us in the arts and cultural world. Nevertheless, the fruits of our work around this issue have not been fully realized.
As a field, we have been rightfully eager to diversify our organizations—our boards, our administrative and creative teams, our participants—as well as our audiences. I speak for the Boston Children’s Chorus when I say that we work tirelessly to reflect the rich diversity of our communities—as we should. But as an organization, we had not stopped to appreciate, understand, and address the complications of diversity. It’s as if we want to prize the beauty of the pearl without diving for the oyster!
