Greetings AAM'ers!
I currently work at OMSI in Portland, OR. This past year on our DEAI journey, we launched three identity-based affinity groups for staff and volunteers. We currently hold monthly meetings for People of Color and folks on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. These two groups are meant for staff to build a support network and a sense of community within the museum. Our third (and newest) group is for white folks learning and practicing anti-racism. Our white anti-racist affinity group is more of a workgroup than the other two groups. We read, study, and discuss ways to remedy unconscious bias and institutional oppression of nondominant cultures.
I am hoping to propose a session for AAM 2020 focusing on the benefits and challenges of creating identity-based affinity groups in museums. I am wondering if there are any other folks at museums who have instituted these types of groups? Or maybe you just participate in one? Knowing that there is not a "one size fits all" model for this type of work, I am hoping to find other museum professionals interested in sharing their stories and experiences with affinity groups.
Please feel free to reach out to me in this thread or via e-mail (
bdenniberg@omsi.edu).
Looking forward to hearing from you!
------------------------------
Blair Denniberg
Executive Assistant- Finance
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Portland OR
------------------------------