In Edmonton and then Tacoma, WMA examined ways that structural racism shows up in our workplaces; this year, we continued the conversation. In this session, attendees participated in multiple exercises, each advocating for equity and inclusion amongst colleagues.

1. AN ONGOING
PROJECT
{YEAR 3}
Megan Dickerson, The New Children’s Museum
Ben Garcia, Ohio History Connection
Lisa Sasaki, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American
Center
Ariel Weintraub, Oakland Museum of California
Western Museums Association Annual Meeting, October 6, 2019,
Boise, Idaho

2. Year 2,
Tacoma
Year 1,
Edmonton
Year 3,
Boise

4. Use “I” Statements.
Speak from your own experience and feelings.
Seek first to understand; assume good
intentions.
• Be sensitive to different backgrounds –
We will remember that people in the group
may differ in cultural background, race,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity,
religion, class background, ability and
perspective. We will be careful and sensitive
with our remarks as well as honor multiple
perspectives.
• Lovingly challenge – We will lovingly challenge
each other when hurtful comments are made,
intentionally or unintentionally, so that we may
learn from mistakes and grow as a community.
We take care and responsibility for ourselves
and our own physical, emotional, mental and
spiritual needs.
If you must leave the space to take care of yourself,
please do so.
Flow in and flow out –
If we usually don’t talk much, we will challenge
ourselves to speak more. If we find ourselves talking
more than others, we will speak less.
Accept a lack of closure –
There are no quick fixes to the issues we seek to
address. We are engaging in an ongoing process and
standing on the shoulders of many who came before
us.
*Intercultural Learning Institute, www.weareili.org
Adapted from the Intercultural Learning Institute*

6. INTERPERSONAL
The interactions
between people —
both within and
across difference

7. Use “I” Statements.
Speak from your own experience and feelings.
Seek first to understand; assume good
intentions.
• Be sensitive to different backgrounds –
We will remember that people in the group
may differ in cultural background, race,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity,
religion, class background, ability and
perspective. We will be careful and sensitive
with our remarks as well as honor multiple
perspectives.
• Lovingly challenge – We will lovingly challenge
each other when hurtful comments are made,
intentionally or unintentionally, so that we may
learn from mistakes and grow as a community.
We take care and responsibility for ourselves
and our own physical, emotional, mental and
spiritual needs.
If you must leave the space to take care of yourself,
please do so.
Flow in and flow out –
If we usually don’t talk much, we will challenge
ourselves to speak more. If we find ourselves talking
more than others, we will speak less.
Accept a lack of closure –
There are no quick fixes to the issues we seek to
address. We are engaging in an ongoing process and
standing on the shoulders of many who came before
us.
*Intercultural Learning Institute, www.weareili.org
Adapted from the Intercultural Learning Institute*

13. Use “I” Statements.
Speak from your own experience and feelings.
Seek first to understand; assume good
intentions.
• Be sensitive to different backgrounds –
We will remember that people in the group
may differ in cultural background, race,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity,
religion, class background, ability and
perspective. We will be careful and sensitive
with our remarks as well as honor multiple
perspectives.
• Lovingly challenge – We will lovingly challenge
each other when hurtful comments are made,
intentionally or unintentionally, so that we may
learn from mistakes and grow as a community.
We take care and responsibility for ourselves
and our own physical, emotional, mental and
spiritual needs.
If you must leave the space to take care of yourself,
please do so.
Flow in and flow out –
If we usually don’t talk much, we will challenge
ourselves to speak more. If we find ourselves talking
more than others, we will speak less.
Accept a lack of closure –
There are no quick fixes to the issues we seek to
address. We are engaging in an ongoing process and
standing on the shoulders of many who came before
us.
*Intercultural Learning Institute, www.weareili.org
Adapted from the Intercultural Learning Institute*

14. Year 2,
Tacoma
Year 1,
Edmonton
Year 3,
Boise

15. Dear White Colleague…
Please don't ask me where a good Japanese/Asian restaurant
is. That's what Yelp is for.
By asking me what I know you think is an innocent question or small
talk, you are working off of stereotypes and have immediate reduced
me to feeling useful only because of assumed race-based knowledge,
especially if we’ve never spoken about race or my heritage before. If
you just asked me what a good restaurant is, you might find out that I
have several good Mexican places to recommend and I actually don’t
eat much Japanese food because I’m allergic to soy.

16. Dear White Colleague…
Why are you asking me to join the diversity task force?
By asking me to join a diversity task force, or any kind of effort to
"diversify" the museum in some way, you are asking me to take on more
work because I am of a race other than white. When you invite me to join,
are you also going to take on more work? Are you going to also recognize
the privilege that you have as a white person, or are you going to be
defensive when a colleague of color challenges any aspect of the museum's
role in furthering white supremacy, defending liberal whiteness that in fact
perpetuates the very problem that led to the creation of a diversity effort?
[continued]

17. Dear White Colleague…
Why are you asking me to join the diversity task force?
[continued]
It is common knowledge that diversity task forces ask, directly and
indirectly, colleagues of color to "train" or "teach" white staff about
diversity issues, and that because they are not white, they should be
"the ones" to speak about diversity. A task force can dangerously
reinforce the idea of "giving agency," as if we didn't have agency to begin
with.

18. Dear White Colleague…
I am tired of hearing you asking me an offensive question
and then defensively responding with, "I didn't know.“
Saying "I didn't know" can only go so far. This is not when you play
innocent, but when you take full responsibility and accountability for
the question you asked, why you felt compelled to ask it, and knowing
its true impact when asked. There's more to the question than the
question itself. Please dig deeper into yourself and think about why
you need to know the answer.

19. Dear Colleague of Color…
What questions can I ask you about the way your identity is
impacted by our workplace?
I honestly want to be able to connect with you and understand more
about your lived experience.

20. Dear Colleague of Color…
How can I be a good ally?
I recognize that our institution is lacking in cultural competency and
diversity and I want to be part of the solution.

21. Dear Colleague of Color…
When I ask something that I recognize has done harm, what
can I do?
Sometimes I am so hellbent on fixing problems that I am now
recognizing that I do not stop to think about the fact that you have
been thinking about this for ages. In that moment, my priority or need
trumps your humanity.