The Empathetic Museum
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[COLLECTIVE LIBERATION]  Disrupt, Dismantle, Manifest

4/10/2021

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​2021 Equity Coalition Convening
​JUNE 2-4, 2021

UPDATE: Call for proposals extended to end of day April 20.
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The legacies of colonial and racialized violence, and white supremacy broadly, express themselves in myriad ways in contemporary museum practice. Internal and external transformation is required for shifting systems of power; interrupting the cycle of abusive museum culture; and healing from traumatic histories. 

Yet, despite decades of advocacy,  we keep repeating the same patterns. Why? What keeps us from taking necessary actions?
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We must face individual and institutional unwillingness in museums to self-educate and the resistance to embed racial equity. We must name the lack of transparency, accountability, and serious commitment to make this work foundational. We must move our field away from performative, so-called DEAI measures that center whiteness towards models that break historical patterns of inequity and harm.

We are calling for a radical reimagining
of possibilities around what a museum can be
​for its publics when racial justice is at its center.


Call for proposals closes April 16, 2021.
Selections will be confirmed by May 1, 2021.
PRESENT A CYPHER
Complete this form to propose your idea for a session, dialog, or poster presentation or send us a video or audio recording answering the questions.
JOIN US IN JUNE
Stay tuned for registration details. Follow:
@MuseumsAndRace
@MuseumAction 
@MuseumWorkers
@EmpatheticMuse
@incluseum
@VisitorsOfColor 
#MuseumsAreNotNeutral
WHO WE ARE:
This Coalition represents the change-making movements Museums and Race, MASS Action, Museum Workers Speak, The Incluseum, Museums Are Not Neutral, Empathetic Museum, and Visitors of Color. Collectively, we believe there is inherent inequity in the existing systems alive in our institutions, and that we must address this foundationally through the lens of racial justice and anti-white supremacy. We are committed to effecting real, substantive, and transformative change in the museum field and seeing the manifestations of this work happen in our lifetime.

Contact MuseumsRace@gmail.com for more information. 

Although we will be working virtually, we commit to share resources, build accountability partners, and organize within our community, particularly with colleagues across cultural, racial, and ideological spectra.
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An Empathetic Museum is an Antiracist Museum

10/12/2020

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#EmpathyPowersChange

Every so often we at the Empathetic Museum experience a wave of comments against empathy.  It may be on social media; in a museum conference session; or in a discussion on Zoom.  Empathy is assumed to be a weak and passive human response, and then is criticized for being ineffective.  Perhaps because “empathy” is a buzzword right now, it is tossed around without much thought or understanding.  This article examines empathy in the context of another word getting lots of attention today: antiracism,  We believe they are related, and not just for the moment.  

We define empathy as active, not passive

As our friends at Mirriam-Webster assert:
"Empathy is the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present. without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner."
​-Merriam-Webster, 2013.

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Empathy is action; not a sad face or a feeling of pity. Just as individual empathy involves active participation in the experience of others, institutional empathy is a system of practices and policies that moves an organization from indifference to resonance and *active* care both for its own staff and for its community.

We center the concept of institutional empathy when analyzing museums today

The Empathetic Museum is a multinational, multi-ethnic, cross generational group of museum colleagues who believe that lack of empathy at an institutional level prevents museums from becoming truly inclusive and resonant with their communities. We maintain that museums’ non-empathetic and embedded systems of white privilege, colonialism, racism, and patriarchy must be dismantled before the widely touted objectives of DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Inclusion) can fully inhabit our institutions.
 
We maintain that institutional empathy is an antiracist response to inequity in museums

The concept of the Empathetic Museum was inspired in part by the response of African American museum professionals to the events in Ferguson, MO in 2014: the killing of an unarmed Black man, Michael Brown and the ensuing controversy when the White policeman who shot him was acquitted.  At that time, as seen in the monthly Twitter chat #museumsrespondtoFerguson, most museums took the position that “this is not our issue.”  The AAAM (Association of African American Museums) published a statement on their website extending condolences to the families of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, and others who had lost their sons to police violence.  The organization urged its member museums to use their collections and programs to provide context and aid in understanding the history of systemic racism in the U.S.  At the Missouri History Museum, education director Melanie Adams organized a town meeting.

We at the Empathetic Museum were struck by the difference in response between African American museum professionals and the rest of the (mostly White) museum field.  To us, the African American response was rooted in profound empathy, in a deep understanding of the pain of the African American community.  We also realized that if we in White-led museums saw this pain as “their issue,” all the DEAI initiatives in the world could not bridge this gap in empathy. Until we see these young people  as “our sons and daughters” rather than “their sons and  daughters” museums cannot become the inclusive and diverse institutions we say we want to be. Although we did not use the term “antiracist” at the time, the Maturity Model we built in 2015 and 2016 was, in retrospect, a project to transform museums from institutional racism to institutional empathy.
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In his introduction to How to Be an Antiracist (2019) Ibram X. Kendi recounts his transition from a teen who was judgmental about the black community to someone who understands the humanity in all of us – a journey towards empathy.
"And I’ve come to see that the movement from racist to antiracist is ongoing—it requires understanding and snubbing racism based on biology, ethnicity, body, culture, behavior, color, space, and class….This book is ultimately about the basic struggle we’re all in, the struggle to be fully human and to see that others are fully human." 
(Kendi, 2019. Pp 10-11)
​

In other words, Kendi sees antiracism as essentially an act of understanding others (empathy) in all aspects of human life–-from biology and ethnicity to color, space, and class.  The Empathetic Museum project has from its beginning described empathy as active and multi-leveled.

More pertinent to this discussion, Kendi sees both racism and antiracism in systemic terms.  True, they are practiced by individuals, but they are part of a web of policy and practice that renders them both less visible and more powerful.
"Racism is a powerful collection of racist policies that lead to racial inequity and are substantiated by racist ideas.  Antiracism is a powerful collection of antiracist policies that lead to racial equity and are substantiated by antiracist ideas." 
(Kendi p 20)

​
Our approach to museum transformation has been systemic from our earliest days in 2013. In our work we have developed a rubric, materials, and other resources that recommend changes at the institutional level--systemic policies, practices, and roles. Hiring a community coordinator, creating a diversity fellowship, or appointing a director of inclusion/diversity are all well and good. These individuals, however, cannot effect change unless they and the entire organization work to shift all of the systems from racist, privileged, colonial, and patriarchal practices to those that are antiracist, community oriented, decolonized, and welcoming to BIPOC, women, and the LGBTQ community.

A call to action: We need more empathy, not less

What do we observe as our organizations confront their own complicity in systemic racism in a time of economic and cultural instability? We see museums produce statements in support of Black Lives Matter (ex. MET statement); while they maintain curatorial and upper level positions (mostly held by white staff) and lay off large percentages of education and visitor-facing staff (more likely to be people of color). 

This is not empathy. This is not antiracist. It’s performance and a true reflection of the values of each organization laid bare for scrutiny. Why can’t more museums follow the lead of NPR (not a model of financial strength in the best of times)? Shared salary cuts and rotating unpaid  furloughs, even for “star” reporters, have allowed many more staff to stay employed. 

That said, it must be made clear that for those who find the word empathy empty or somehow lacking, antiracism is apt to fall flat, too. They both only hold meaning for those willing to be swayed by the values inherent to them. In this time of reckoning and self-reflection we encourage colleagues to use one of the self-assessments or rubrics provided by MASSAction  or the Empathetic Museum 

As you reassess your practice; and perhaps. reconsider the values that drive your priorities…. Where is empathy on that list?
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Strategic Empathy Planning: Questions for the QuaranTime

4/29/2020

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These are hard and complicated times. We feel it with our families and at work and now, with so many of us tele-working, those boundaries have merged. The Empathetic Museum understands that the process of change can be uncomfortable, especially in times of crisis and uncertainty. The cruel irony of this time of social distancing is that it makes the need for human connection and responses all that more critical and consequential. 

Museum leadership is making important decisions beyond day-to-day operations to respond to an uncertain future. We are challenged to think outside our usual modes of ‘business as usual” because our situation is unprecedented. In this moment, we need to pause and consider how administrative actions impact the community we build with our staff, partners, and audiences. We believe an empathetic response to staff and surrounding communities will have a long-term benefits that go well beyond financial gains. 

We are noticing that many institutions are asking similar questions :

  • How can we use this time to refocus what our organization does? What opportunities are there to dream and reimagine our organization's role in the community for the long-term?
  • What is the bottom-line for our organization? And what does that bottom-line look like to our staff and surrounding public?
  • How can we think creatively about our financing in ways that express our values to the remaining staff?
  • How will our actions continue to garner public trust and bring people together in this moment of societal need? 
  • How do our actions benefit our invested community partners and audiences during a pandemic?
  • How does this state of emergency challenge or change our organization's role within the local non-profit and/or cultural community?
  • Which costs will be essential to crafting a longer vision and which will have less infrastructural impact over time?
  • How does our organization keep in touch with its community partners (artists, educators, schools, other orgs)? How can we make them part of a team with an investment in the response we are crafting to the current crisis?
  • How does our organization's leadership want to connect differently with its staff? And its audiences, donors included, once things get back to "normal?" What actions are we taking now that set the momentum for this new connection?
 
These are just some of the important questions we hope colleagues will consider as we rise up to meet this moment. We want organizations to survive this epidemic with both resiliency and public trust.  ​An empathetic approach to the hard decisions we are currently making may be a way of becoming a more inclusive and responsive cultural institutions moving forward. 
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How to Be an Empathetic Museum in this​Troubled Time  |  Cómo ser un museo empático en estos​tiempos difíciles

3/20/2020

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​We at The Empathetic Museum are mindful of and concerned about the current and future impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our many communities, especially the vulnerable. At a time when our values and instincts drive us to be of service to our communities, closures to protect both our museums’ people and our visitors are being initiated or mandated, and some of us must shelter at home or care for loved ones. It is a tremendously difficult time; our hearts go out to everyone, and we hope that our empathetic museum principles provide inspiration for our work whenever possible.
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Sign hanging on a closed store in Seattle, WA. Photo courtesy of José Lara.
Above all, model institutional empathy by showing care for your staff. Professional staff may be able to work from home without disruption of pay yet may need morale boosting and time to adjust to this new routine. What about frontline, cafeteria, maintenance, and security staff?  Have their hours been reduced or cut entirely? Do they have paid leave? Do some need immediate assistance? We must not forget them. Are there ways that we can share the burden and buy time for individuals facing the most dire economic consequences (i.e. furloughs vs layoffs)? Join with other museums and cultural institutions to advocate for financial assistance for the sector.

Despite your closure, think about ways to serve and remain in touch with your community through the five Empathetic Museum characteristics:

Civic vision: Now more than ever, believe that your institution is part of the civic infrastructure of your municipality. Be in touch with other civic and community leaders so that you can be a part of planning and problem solving for your community.

Institutional Body Language: Be a source of light, levity, and comfort. Be sure that all messages online, in print, or on other media embody and model empathy as well as respect for scholarship, accuracy of language and information. Do not propagate intolerant language by connecting the pandemic to a particular country or people. Provide your own or share links to activities for children and families at home. Share links from other arts organizations that are providing online music, theater, art instruction, etc.

Community resonance: Practice civic responsibility and continue to be in touch with your community partners so that you can grapple together especially with local issues. Be aware of and work against racial, economic, or gender inequities as a result of this pandemic in your community.

Timeliness and Sustainability: As Nina Simon has suggested in her widely distributed post on the current situation, think about and document the efforts you are making to retain contact with your audiences so that you might continue some of these even after the crisis is over.
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Performance measures: Develop, administer, and share methods of assessing the impact of your efforts.

As one of our members said: “It's a bit like the oxygen mask -- we need to make sure we're safe but then need to start thinking about how we can be of help and service to those around us.”

Be well,
​The Empathetic Museum: Janeen Bryant, Kayleigh Bryant-Greenwell, Jim Cullen, Charlette Hove, Gretchen Jennings, Stacey Mann, Jackie Peterson, Nayeli Zepeda.

En The Empathetic Museum (El Museo Empático) estamos conscientes y ocupados en el impacto actual y futuro de la pandemia COVID-19 en muchas de nuestras comunidades, especialmente las vulnerables. 
​En este momento, cuando nuestros valores e instintos nos llevan a servir a nuestras comunidades, se han iniciado cierres para proteger tanto al personal de los museos como a los visitantes, y algunos de nosotros tenemos que refugiarnos en casa o cuidar de nuestros seres queridos. Es un tiempo tremendamente difícil. Nuestros corazones se extienden a todos, y esperamos que los principios del museo empático aporten inspiración para el trabajo cuando sea posible.

Sobre todo, genera empatía institucional al cuidar al personal. Quizá el personal pueda trabajar desde casa sin interrupciones en su pago, pero puede necesitar un aumento en la moral y tiempo para adaptarse a esta nueva rutina. ¿Qué pasa con aquéllos en servicio o atención al público, cafetería, mantenimiento, seguridad? ¿Se han reducido sus horas o se han eliminado completamente? ¿Cuentan con licencia remunerada? ¿Algunos de ellos necesitan ayuda inmediata? No debemos olvidarlos. ¿Hay maneras en las que podemos compartir la cargar y ganar tiempo para aquellos individuos que enfrentan las consecuencias económicas más graves (i.e. permisos de ausencia vs. despidos)? Únete a otros museos e instituciones culturales en abogar por asistencia financiera para el sector. 

​A pesar del cierre de tu museo, piensa en maneras de servir a tu comunidad y mantenerte en contacto con ella a través de las cinco características del museo empático:

Visión cívica: Ahora más que nunca, piensa que tu institución es parte de una infraestructura de tu localidad. Mantente en contacto con otros líderes cívicos y comunitarios para que seas parte de la planeación y solución de problemas para tu comunidad. 

Lenguaje corporal institucional: Se una fuente de luz, ligereza y alivio. Asegúrate de que tus mensajes en línea, impresos o en otros medios, expresen y representen empatía, así como respeto como la información experta y la precisión en el lenguaje. No propagues lenguaje intolerante al conectar la pandemia con un país o personas específicas. Comparte tus propias actividades para niños y familias en casa, o los links de otras instituciones. Comparte links de organizaciones que estén transmitiendo música, teatro u otras actividades de educación artística en línea.

Resonancia en la comunidad: Practica la responsabilidad cívica y mantén el contacto con los aliados de tu comunidad para que puedan luchar juntos por los asuntos locales. Ten cuidad y trabaja en contra de las inequidades raciales, económicas y de género que sean resultado de esta pandemia.

Oportunidad y sostenibilidad: Como Nina Simon sugiere en su texto sobre la situación actual, piensa cómo y documenta los esfuerzos que estás haciendo para mantener el contacto con tus públicos, así podrás continuar con algunos de éstos incluso ya terminada la crisis.

​Medidas de desempeño: Desarrolla, administra y comparte métodos para evaluar el impacto de tus esfuerzos.
​  
Como uno de nuestros miembros dijo: “Es un poco como la máscara de oxígeno; necesitamos asegurarnos de que estamos a salvo, pero entonces necesitamos empezar a pensar cómo podemos ayudar y servir a los que están a nuestro alrededor.”

​The Empathetic Museum (El Museo Empático): Janeen Bryant, Kayleigh Bryant-Greenwell,
​Jim Cullen, Charlette Hove, Gretchen Jennings, Stacey Mann, Jackie Peterson, Nayeli Zepeda.
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Curator Journal:  Past, Present, & Future of The Empathetic Museum

9/13/2019

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Over the summer and fall of 2018, our merry band of empathetic museum players hit pause for a moment to take stock in the work we had accomplished as a group and in deep collaboration with others across the industry.  Our reflections on the trajectory of recent EDI trends and what comes next are captured in a new article to be published in Curator Journal this fall--The Empathetic Museum: A New Institutional Identity.

In addition, the article contains a printable version of our Maturity Model and a glossary of how we use terms such as “community “ or “white privilege/supremacy.” We’d love to hear what you think of the article in the comments below or via Twitter @EmpatheticMuse

Download a copy here. 
And, thank you for your continued support. 
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