DEAI at the Field Museum
Diversity, equity, access, and inclusion (DEAI) are cornerstones of the Field Museum. We strive to build a culture of respect for all who work, volunteer, and visit the Museum. This is why we have created a DEAI Staff-led Council. We aim to listen, advocate, and learn from all those involved in the Field.
Our Mission
The Field Museum strives to become a diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive institution at every level, both internally and as a public-facing Museum. That’s why we formed our staff-led DEAI Council, whose mission is to evaluate and shape the Museum's culture, practices, and policies. We aim to establish systems and spaces for the council to productively contribute their varied opinions, different approaches, new perspectives, and talent, and create bridges for every member of the Field community to contribute to DEAI practices museumwide.
Our History
As the staff and visitors of the Field Museum have become increasingly diverse, in addition to the city at large, it is important that matters related to diversity and inclusion be central to the culture here. While the Field Museum has been around since its opening in 1894, the Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (DEAI) Staff Council is a fairly new entity in the Museum. The DEAI Staff-led Council was officially created in 2021. In the 4 years prior to the Council’s inception, the Museum has engaged in several DEAI initiatives such as celebrating Cultural Heritage Months, the revision of the Native North American Hall into the new exhibition Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories, and furthering engagement with black and brown communities. In 2022, the Museum welcomed a new Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Sara Furr, PhD, in addition to DEAI Coordinator, Bethany Johnson, who will help in creating a strong vision and change within the Museum.
DEAI Staff Council
This Council was formed to analyze policies and practices that currently exist within the Field Museum and to use our collective voices to push the Museum to be diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive. We will promote change by addressing and undoing a normalized culture of colonialism, misuse of power, invisibility, and racism. We are facilitating reconciliation and restoration of respect which takes a commitment to radical culture change.
The Council would love to hear from you on any ideas, thoughts, or questions you may have. You can contact any Council member or all of us at DEAI@fieldmuseum.org or the office of the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Inclusion@fieldmuseum.org.
Image slideshow
Left to right: Ylanda D. Wilhite, Daniel Breems, and Jacob Shuler
Left to right: Bethany Johnson, Michelle L. Brownlee, and Caleb McMahan
Left to right: Bridgette Russell, Sara Furr, and Bethany Johnson
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