Beyond Fakequity: Redefining “Excellence” to Create Space for Equity

Abstract

For many predominantly white arts institutions in the United States, the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in the summer of 2020 prompted externally initiated calls for equity work. Many of these organizations crafted equity statements, engaged in trainings, and made public displays of their intent to do different and better – however, many did not follow through on those promises (Heidelberg, 2020). While many organizations have indeed engaged in fakequity or “equity talk with no action” (Okuno Consulting, 2017), this may not explain every instance of stalled or incomplete equity action within the arts sector. In the case of fakequity, the remedy is to actually do the work of creating a more inclusive and equitable organization, rather than simply talk about it. However, if there are root causes for stalled equity action aside from fakequity, then organizations are left without guidance on how to identify and address that cause/those causes and move forward. This case examines the primary research question: what organizational practices contribute to stalled equity efforts other than fakequity? Investigating this question led to a secondary research question: what conditions help organizations move beyond stalled equity efforts? In order to address this question, I conducted a single-case study (Yin, 2014) of a midwestern museum to offer a contextualized understanding of identifying and addressing organizational elements that contribute to false starts in equity work within predominantly white arts institutions.

Citation

Heidelberg, B.M. (2024), "Beyond Fakequity: Redefining “Excellence” to Create Space for Equity", Bérubé, J., Dioh, M.-L. and Cuyler, A.C. (Ed.) Accessibility, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Cultural Sector, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 151-165. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-034-220241022