Diversity Statement has become a more and more frequently asked application material. No matter you are applying for a music directorship or an educational role, the organization very often is interested in knowing your vision on diversity, inclusion, and equity.
Feeling stuck as a straight white man (or anything else)? No worries, let me show you how to kill your diversity vision, and how to revive it.
Best Ways to Kill Your Diversity Statement:
- Claiming that "I have a friend / daughter-son / husband-wife / student who is XXX (fill in any gender, race, color,...) so I am such a diversity supporter
- Give All Talk and No Action
- Draw a Pie in the Sky with your promises
TO REVIVE YOUR STATEMENT (Even if you don't have much experience in diversity and bias and have been very privileged)
- Draw from your experiences - even if you have a very single-dimensioned upbringing, you can still talk about that and explain how this affects your actions and plans
- Genuinely reflect why diversity is important - and how that affect your vision for this position
- Create a sample concert program for the ensemble even without them asking for it in the first place
- Commit to program at least one living composer, one woman composer, one composer of color, or one composer from any historically marginalized group
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