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“That leads to the next step, which is audience. Institutions can make a much greater effort in outreach to communities of color. It\u2019s not enough for us to be on the wall, to be consumed by predominantly white and wealthy audiences\u2014we need to be in communion with our communities.” We also must “enforce top-down anti-bias training. This is training that institutions should invest in. Under no circumstances should museums expect their BIPOC staff to take up the task of educating everyone…A final strategy would be to reduce or omit museum fees; paywalls to access culture keep people out. I realize this is an unrealistic expectation in the current moment\u2014it requires an entire system overhaul. But it\u2019s still worth putting out as a strategy” (Emelife, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These strategies can parallel with personal finance in banking and well-being. Banks can begin to create ties with different groups based on their needs and they can put importance on building up communities that were previously or currently marginalized. They can also host systems that allow for flexibility in fees and accounts for people who have not had access to banking before, or they can simply just start having people that can connect with these different communities in uplifting ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Going back to the concept of art institutions and their choice of artists there are “many arguments about why BIPOC art isn\u2019t more prominent or visible (it\u2019s hard to fundraise, these artists aren\u2019t known, etc.). These aren\u2019t legitimate arguments, they\u2019re excuses. I can name at least 30 artists off the top of my head whose work I would love to see in a publicly accessible space” (Emelife, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“A social justice curator is a cultural worker who creates exhibitions that prompt dialogue and subsequent change towards a more socially equitable and just society. I think an alternative title would be \u201cvisual activist\u201d\u2014a person who believes in the symbiotic relationship between art and social change” (Emelife, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So can the ideals of a social justice curator be adapted into creating a social justice banker?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I understand many institutions feel stuck in between a rock and a hard place. I think the sentiment I saw on a protest sign recently, \u201cSilence is violence,\u201d is resonating loudly with institutions. But are empty words any better?” (Emelife, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:<\/p>\n\n\n\n