From Aspiration to Practice: 6 Steps for Acting on Your DEI Statement

In 2020, the death of George Floyd sparked a national reckoning with race. It also sparked an onslaught of the most performative and lackluster DEI initiatives and statements from nonprofit organizations in various fields and specialty sectors. It’s an unfortunate, albeit radical truth that most organizations flaunting shiny, progressive DEI statements on their web pages rarely follow through actions or make fundamental changes within their operations that would implement their DEI initiatives. 
Rather than creating a safer space for marginalized workers and community members, having a good DEI statement has become a way to make heads of organizations feel good about themselves, like a shining gold star or a pat on the back. They boast, “Look at me and what a great ally I am! Look at all the work I did to make it appear like I actually care!” without actually doing anything. Because without action and reflection, DEI statements are just false advertising. 

As we move into yet another time of uncertainty, where DEI initiatives are seen as threats to ideologies and essentially unnecessary, organizations risk backsliding to the 1800s. So if you want to make sure that your organization continues to progress into the 21st century and onward, here are some tools for turning your DEI initiatives from impressive words to incredible actions and practices.

Step 1: Personal Self Examination from the Top Down

You know how Michael Jackson said he was going to make a change by starting with the man in the mirror? Well, he was on to something, because if you want to actually promote change in an organization, policy, or day to day operations, the change must first begin with yourself on a personal level. It’s nearly impossible to make external changes without holding a mirror up to your own personal beliefs, biases (conscious and unconscious), and thought patterns. And it’s okay if when you do this, you don’t like what you see. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has biases that can be harmful to themselves or others and believe me when I say – having bias does not make you a bad person, it makes you human.

It’s hard work to unpack these beliefs. The why and where they come from is like excavating a million little mysterious bones out of the densest mud; but it is vital to become comfortable with being uncomfortable with what you find if fundamental change is to occur.

Unfortunately, I have found that many people, especially those in power (think CEOs, Executive Directors, Presidents *cough cough*) run away from the uncomfortability or refuse to even acknowledge any fault in their thinking and instead hype themselves up to be the good guy in situations because of various external factors. This can look like flaunting the fact that they have BIPOC friends or donating large amounts of money to organizations with good causes— but not actually doing anything else for the cause or continually displaying support for people/things that do not align with their words of do-goodery. These avoidant types can be difficult and slow to change, but it’s important to have conversations within your organization that include them so that they may start their own deconstruction process. 

These conversations can range from small SEL (socio-emotional learning) check-ins during internal meetings to larger workshops that tackle and dissect biases in the workplace such as confirmation bias (seeking out information that supports your pre-existing beliefs about a person), affinity bias (favoring others who are similar to yourself), and the halo effect (assuming positive attributes in a person because of one accomplishment). If you feel like there is no one internally qualified to spearhead these conversations, working with a DEI Consultant or Coach, and/or mandating implicit bias training for ALL employees is a great place to start. When paired with reflection and actively working against your biases, these conversations act as the foundational step to implementing your DEI initiatives.

Step 2: Analyzing Your Board Members and Committees

Similar to the internal examination, a deeper look at who sits on your Board is necessary to ensure that your organization’s DEI initiatives are being upheld. Who sits on your Board– the kind of person they are, who/what they support, how they show up– is just as important as their expertise or how much money they’re able to give to your organization. You’d do well to consider mandating bias training for your Board in addition to your staff so that everyone on your team has the same understanding and the same tools for success when it comes to upholding your organization’s DEI statement. 

Another way to combat bias and make sure every voice is heard is to develop committees within your organization whose job it is to uphold certain clauses of the DEI statement or a specific initiative. This could look like an audition committee that’s dedicated to curating an accessible and inclusive audition process and analyzing the audition requirements; an audience development committee that focuses on diversifying community outreach, ensuring audience accessibility through ADA compliance in venues and livestream endeavors, and financial accessibility through a tiered ticketing system that includes, but is not limited to student pricing, senior pricing, and free tickets for special groups; as well as a programming committee who works alongside the Artistic Director to curate diverse and inclusive programming throughout the year. Which leads us to…

Step 3: Decolonizing Your Programming

The type of music your organization programs over the duration of your season is the clearest indicator of whether you’re upholding your DEI Statement or not. If your programming doesn’t include Black composers, disabled composers, women composers, LGBTQ+ composers, or composers outside of the western canon then your organization is falling short of true inclusion and diversity. 

The easiest way to reevaluate your programming is to flip the social hierarchy on its head and use that as your guide.

*This list does not factor in able bodied vs. disable bodied peoples and how that affects social stratification

By decentering cishet whiteness and prioritizing those groups at the bottom of the hierarchy, you are sure to be spotlighting marginalized peoples and their works. Now, do not be mistaken, I am not insinuating that you abandon the western canon altogether, but I am encouraging you to consider the western canon to non-western canon ratio when tackling your programming for the year. Be brave, be bold, make courageous choices, and your repertoire for the year is sure to stack up against your DEI Statement. Oh, and if you don’t know where to begin on diversifying your organization’s program, check out Part 2 of my Black Music series with Chorus Connection here.

Step 4: Fostering a New Generation of Singer

As you begin to diversify your programming, it is important that your singers follow suit, as they are an extension of the programming. This is not to say that you shouldn’t program diverse composers if your ensemble isn’t diverse, however, there are certain stipulations to be considered. For instance, you know that viral clip of elderly choir members singing “Hot in Herre” by Nelly? It’s hilarious, yes, but there’s also something intrinsically out of place with that programming. There is no representation of hip hop culture represented in the singers, the musicality, or the performance itself. In fact, this performance is meant to make people laugh, which in some ways makes a joke of hip hop culture and music. And if you’re not picking up what I’m putting down, I’m basically saying that this could be viewed as pretty insensitive. Do I think the choral conductor and singers in this case had any malicious intent? Absolutely not. However, when we’re talking traditional negro spirituals including AAVE (African American Vernacular) or queer works like Burgess’ “Wondering”, it’s important that your ensemble include members of the marginalized communities whose stories and histories are being told. 

One of the easiest ways to bring in a new generation and demographic of singer is through social media. The types of content you’re producing and the people you’re featuring are your calling cards to the world. If your social pages are inundated with 60+ year old white people and you’re only pushing ticket sales, then the likelihood that a twenty-something person of color would feel comfortable enough to audition for your group is slim to none. Try reconfiguring your social strategy to focus on your community members, marginalized composers you may be programming, or social media trends to target a younger and more diverse audience. Utilizing your social media in this way will cast a wider net in regard to your recruitment outreach, which is the next thing to think about. 

If you’re not reaching out to a multitude of communities, how can you expect your ensemble to be diverse? Consider making a list of the cultural centers, affinity groups, and community organizations to notify when audition season comes around. This could bring new faces from different cultures and backgrounds to your ensemble. However, if your ensemble doesn’t have term limits for its members, then there may not be room for new voices to come in. Consider evaluating the re-audition process and if there’s a term limit for legacy singers.

Step 5: Audition Process 

If you’re not aware, classical music is well… classist. And the audition process is no exception. From prepared operatic arias to sight reading excerpts, auditions tend to place emphasis on skills that are often learned in higher education institutions, which often places people with a lower education level at a disadvantage. Prepared pieces can be learned by rote, but many choral institutions use their sight reading exercises as a make or break factor during auditions. Yes, there are a plethora of reasons why one would need to be a skilled sight reader in rehearsal or professional settings, however, it is not the end all be all of musicianship and often can be a faulty indicator of such. Anxiety and stress can negatively affect one's sight reading in the moment and make even the most skilled singer appear elementary. Additionally, how do you approach a sight reading assessment for a singer with a visual impairment or a learning/processing disability? Are there accommodations available for these singers that test their musicianship in the same way sight reading might? 

I’m not saying to do away with sight reading altogether, but I am asking you to consider deprioritizing it in the grand scheme of a singer’s musicianship and ability, as well as finding ways to make it more accessible. Perhaps the first round of auditions includes a small sight reading exercise, but rather than that being the make or break moment for a singer, allow it to be an indicator of where they’re at. Does the singer take the time to orient themselves tonally before starting the exercise? Is there one note they constantly hit correctly even if they get lost along the way? Are their rhythms accurate? These are equally important indicators of a person’s musicianship level as getting the entire exercise correct. 

Once you’ve assessed where your auditionees are at, invite them to a second round of auditions and provide them with an excerpt of music in advance. Whether the singer would like to sight read in the second round, or whether they'd like to plunk out their part on the piano at home and come with notes learned, you will get to see how a singer prepares. Which is another vital part of musicianship. Incorporating these levels of auditions allows auditionees with varying learning styles and abilities to show up in the best way they can and allows your organization to say that they really are adhering to that disability clause in your DEI statement.

Step 6: Audience 

The last, but definitely not least important part of implementing your organization’s DEI statement is your audience. Is your audience reflective of who your DEI statement uplifts? Do they reflect your community? Do they reflect your singers? If the answer is no to one or more of these questions, then perhaps a recalibration of your organization’s outreach, ticket pricing, venue accessibility, and/or livestream options is in order. 

It’s also important to consider what you are providing your audience other than only a great musical experience. What does your organization’s community engagement look like? Are there tabling opportunities you’re not utilizing at schools, farmers markets, and other events? Are you giving back to your community through free concerts and educational workshops? How is your organization making an impact? At the end of the day, that’s all a DEI statement is: a framework to make an impact in your organization, community, and the world. 

I know that what I’ve just thrown at you is a lot to take in and to mull over, but I’d like to leave you with some words of encouragement as you look deeper into yourself and your organization: nothing is perfect and change takes time. By simply reading this blog post and reflecting on your organization’s current practices, you are already taking the first step toward a more just and inclusive choral space. I thank you for that. Remember that first comes intention, then comes implementation, then comes impact. And wherever you currently are on that journey, I’m proud of you for showing up. 

Now I turn it over to you — which step or steps do you think your organization is ready to implement first?