As an African American woman and a museum professional, I believe that we, as a community, can rectify this problem of underrepresentation not so much by outreach but perhaps by "reaching" out. I have been blessed to have worked in two institutions that believe in bringing the museum (and its professionals) to the community--an idea that is superb when you are targeting a group of individuals who have never identified themselves with a museum let alone identify themselves as working in a museum. The first institution that I worked in was the Studio Museum in Harlem. I started as an intern and was then promoted to program coordinator for community programming. My main project was to bring the art/artists to the public schools of Harlem. If any of you are familiar with Harlem, and I say this with love, visiting a museum or a museum program is the least of their concerns. At any rate, artists were placed in the schools for 6 to 9 months. The children would create art that would eventually be displayed in their own exhibition. The most successful part of this project was providing the opportunity to allow these children to represent themselves in a setting that they assumed had nothing to do with them. At the end, these children believed that we (as staff) were nice, that this (the museum)was nice and that maybe they could grow up to do what we did--it's a beginning. The second institution is the Smithsonian's Anacostia Museum. I accepted the position as registrar while still attending the George Washington University's Museum Studies program. With ethics on the brain and seriousness in my heart, I can not tell you how appalled I was when my director told me to go to the public schools and tell them what exactly it is a registrar does; how an object actually is taken care of; etc. I had put professional passion before passion for "my people." Not realizing that this would be my one time to actually tell this community about a job that they would otherwise never know of let alone know that they too can be one, I grunted and groaned until the end of my class. When these kids finished telling me about condition reports, loan agreements, DOG's, shipping, etc. I was ready to get some 171's together. I can not thank my former director enough for "forcing" me to work with that project. I now know that there is a community of kids that can add "registrar" as well as designer, curator, and historian to their list of things they would like to do when they "grow up." I know these two situations involved children but where else to start? You have to plant the seed and hope that the watering will take place within. I know that I have gone on too long, but one last thing. In regards to Laura Mahoney's statement re: experience prior to internship, keep this one scenario in mind when you are reviewing intern applications. While registrar at Anacostia, I always operated with volunteers and interns. There was one young lady who did not have a job and never had any museum experience (in her words,she simply wondered what it would be like). She was separated from her husband and had a five month old baby. The only transportation she had was the bus. I accepted her for as you said, "when you have no staff you are willing to take anyone (paraphrased)." This person turned out to be one of my best volunteers. Why? Because she had passion. (Some of us are still looking for that in our fields.) When she did not have a sitter we would set the playpen up in the office and get to work. It's all about sacrifice. Everyone on this list was given a first chance. Why is it that after we become a little seasoned we forget our past? Lauri Hinksman Asst. National Collections Coordinator National Collections Program, Smithsonian Institution. RM 3109, Arts and Industries building, MRC 404 Phone: 357-3127 ext. 42 FAX: 357-2395 Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be dissappointed!