NCECA has updated its post on “First Actions” to reflect additional steps since the original posting.
NCECA is committed to addressing the structural racism that exists within the organization. Critical and creative insights from our communities provide essential contributions in order to transform in meaningful ways.
Deliberate reflection on NCECA’s bylaws and governance has been the focus of recent meetings. NCECA must address issues of diversity, equity, and accessibility within the board and staff and throughout programming, membership, and opportunities.
This will require more dialogue and actions. These are some initial steps NCECA is taking:
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Diversification of NCECA’s volunteer board of directors is a priority concern. A task force has been formed to research, develop, and institute two new voting board positions to guide policy, equity, governance, collaboration and engagement. These positions will be filled by BIPOC individuals and will play critical roles related to decision making and resource allocation.
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The position of Communications Director on NCECA’s Board of Directors is currently open and will be filled by a BIPOC individual. This role is influential in developing and implementing priorities and strategies to expand diverse representation across a range of platforms. The Communications Director’s position description is being evaluated and revised. We will share more information about this process via the blog.
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NCECA has created a paid position to curate and manage the organization’s social media. NCECA will ensure that the person filling this role is dedicated to expanding representation and elevating the voices of underrepresented artists and has demonstrated personal experience in this area. NCECA will engage in outreach to identify BIPOC individuals for this position.
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NCECA is creating a new staff position dedicated to mission-driven communications and marketing to advance diversity, accessibility, and equity.
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Financial resources are committed for board and staff training and ongoing development in cultural competency, implicit bias, diversity and equity.
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NCECA is working with an outside diversity and inclusion consultant to ensure that all the steps we take are consistent with the most updated best practices in this area.
This is a starting place. Unaddressed questions and concerns remain. Follow continued communications via the NCECA blog and social media forums. Comments are welcomed below in accordance with NCECA’s new comment policy. Please review that policy here.
Terry Vitaliano, well stated with valid questions. I appreciate your definition of BIPOC and only came to this blog page to figure out what that acronym meant.
Very well said!
Please stop using acronyms and call it what it is. What is “BIPOC” for the unenlightened?
Terry, your comments here remind me of all the work that needs to be done in the realm of diversity training. I am assuming you feel that NCECA should reflect the US demographics. What you fail to understand is that Black people, First Nation people and other POC have been underrepresented and ignored by the white 40% of the population since the white people landed in the First Nation. Not that the white population of NCECA is intending to ignore BIPOC, but your comments reflect the essence of systemic racism. I have been to NCECA two times. Each time, I am surprised at the minimal numbers of BIPOCs. I think it might be time for the white voices to be at a lull and let the BIPOCs have the floor.
Thank you, NCECA for identifying a need in this organization.
Very well said, R González. The previous replies demonstrate clearly the work that needs to be done in many, many organizations.
NCECA thanks its members who are contributing comments to this blog story. Structural racism is an endemic historic and contemporary institutional practice in which political, economic, social, and cultural systems work to reinforce and perpetuate racial inequity. “Access to arts education for Blacks and Hispanics is significantly lower than for their White peers, and has been steadily declining for three decades.” (Americans for the Arts) Centuries of laws and structures afford power to some and not to others. One way NCECA seeks to address structural racism within its organization is by ensuring its board is representative of the diverse individuals working to benefit the field. NCECA endeavors to acknowledge these historic truths and the present realities, and be part of changes towards equity. NCECA and the field of ceramics will benefit from these changes because a multiplicity of participation generates social networks that incorporate a sense of collective efficacy and builds diverse links across geography, race, ethnicity, and social class.
As long as NCECA does not directly address members who openly express views like those posted by Terry Vitaliano above, there will always be an element of doubt around whether NCECA will actually take steps to counter the systemic racism in the field.
As an organization, if there isn’t an official response stating that the organization rebukes such statements in support of white supremacy, there will be people who take it as either indifference to such views, or implied support.
The organization cannot stand idly by while its members espouse such harmful views and expect BIPOC to believe that they actually want to change the entrenched systems of white supremacy within the field and within the organization.
Diversification of NCECA’s Board is a great idea. I applaud the steps being taken to make this happen. The world, including the Art World, is shifting right now.
Equity and fairness for all, including the underrepresented is key. We see the results of this currently not happening in the world-wide, ongoing protests.
We can do better. We can be better. Diversification does not mean less for the majority. It simply supports inclusion for all. Thank you for your dedication to making this happen. And, how do I apply?
Thank you for your feedback. We are working to refine the new board positions. Once they are ready, a call with application details will be posted on the blog, our website, and our social media feeds. Stay tuned!
Each year at the NCECA conference, there are great opportunities afforded affluent, Caucasian workshop programs, including Archie Bray, Anderson Ranch, etc. It would be good to see some new faces involved with those advantages. Our Sacramento conference in 2022 will be about this inclusion and unity.
Also, your edits to this post removed what little information you have posted about that seriously offensive cup auction. We’re still waiting for a full detailing of what happened, what went wrong, what NCECA has learned, and what you’re planning to do to prevent something like that from happening again.
We haven’t forgotten about it. If you’re hoping that it will just fade away, like so many other incidents, that’s just more proof that your organization isn’t actually interested in changing your support of the systemic biases in the organization and in the field.
American ceramic art is strangled by small exclusive cliques. These groups are not based on merit but on color. They absorb most of the dwindling opportunities left for American ceramic artists.