This is a list of resources for museums and their board, staff, and volunteers to use to begin actively supporting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), social justice, and racial equity. Some museums across Kansas may have been addressing these issues and adopting these practices already; for others it might feel overwhelming and leave you wondering where to start. The important thing to do IS to start somewhere. Take steps to read, learn, and share. There is a lot to learn, and a lot to do. We will likely make mistakes, but we will keep moving forward. Expect it to be uncomfortable, and remember: this is a marathon, not a sprint. We will do what we do best – preserving, protecting, and sharing stories about the art, history, and science that make us human with all of the messy, nuanced detail that comes with it.
To share a resource here, contact Jamin Landavazo.
Read KMA's Statement on Social Justice and Racial Equity
Our historical moment: Ten experts on the history of race in America spoke to TIME about how the past can help us understand the events of the present. “Comparisons to the 1960s, and that era’s fight for racial equality, have been plentiful—but that period was just one chapter in a civil rights movement that’s almost as old as America is.”
Resources for understanding racism: Smithsonian magazine compiled a list of 158 resources for understanding systemic racism in America. The articles, videos, podcasts, and websites are divided into six sections: historical context, systemic inequality, anti-Black violence, protest, intersectionality, and allyship and education.
We are grateful to the leadership of our colleagues at Museum & Race, Society of American Archivists, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture for compiling resources to help us uncover, grapple with, and begin the discussion about the race-related collections we hold in our institutions; please take a look at them:
