Thank you, John Suau, for your comments! I am also wondering about this, but 
didn’t have the excuse of writing a paper to ask about it. Doesn't anyone 
have any comments? Come on, people!

I know that a diversity initiatives are certainly NOT "common to all 
museums". It certainly is a trend, even in small and non-urban museums,  to 
include "diversity" in exhibits, and in some cases this is a big step.

However, I think this is only the first level. What about hiring practices, 
collections policies, programming? I know a lot of the better-funded museums 
are doing more collaborative projects with targeted communities, in many 
aspects of museum work-- not just exhibits. But I also know some other 
museums (small and large) which seem to consider diversity a non-issue once 
they get a couple of brown faces represented in their galleries.

The barriers to diversity? Well, start with a homogenous staff-- I work
in a museum with an all-white, middle class, U.S.-born staff. We have Plains 
Indian objects in the collection, and on exhibit, but how INVESTED are any of 
us (the staff) in the Native American community?  Wouldn't that exhibit be 
more powerful if the people these object represent were to speak for 
themselves instead of through white curators? Wouldn't Native Americans be 
more likely to come to the museum as visitors? Wouldn't their increased 
visitation encourage young Native Americans to go into museum careers? Its 
all connected.

Another barrier to collaboration is the inherently political nature of it. 
Its certainly easier to avoid the issue than to risk engaging it. Your 
efforts could backfire, your curatorial authority may be undermined, you may 
have to face "ugly" aspects of your beloved town's history, you may be 
uncomfortable with cultural differences... Then again, it could be 
tremendously rewarding. 

Another can-o-worms... In what ways is it better for individual ethnic and 
religious communities to start their own museums rather than working with 
established "generic" museums? What would museums look like if there was no 
racism-- melting pot? or celebrating differences? 

I’m being deliberately controversial here because I can’t believe no one has 
commented on this important issue. Ill let you all jump in now!

Carrie Beauchamp, Registrar (etc.) 
CFD Old West Museum
Cheyenne, Wyoming
(This rant certainly does NOT reflect the opinion of my employer!) 

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