Americans for the Arts believes that language and identity go hand-in-hand and are vital to how we name and organize any community.

We use the terms BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and ALAANA (African, Latine, Asian, Arab, Native American) to represent People of Color and Communities of Color. While these terms do not fully encompass or represent the complicated and multi-layered nature of indigeneity or ethnic and racial identities, they are commonly used terms in our work. We invite and encourage you to examine and explore the terms used in your community and that are important and valued by individuals you interact with, support, and engage. Americans for the Arts has a Language Bank that we use to organize terminology related to our work. In addition, Americans for the Arts endorses and is working to uphold the actions and principles set forth in the Cultural New Deal to improve conditions for and with the priority communities listed therein.

How to use this digital workbook:

Go your own way: You can scroll through this digital workbook in any order—workbook engagement is not linear.

Do the work: You can type out your answers in the interactive sections and download a PDF version of this site with your answers upon completion. You can also download a blank PDF version of the site to record your answers the old-fashioned way.

Privacy: This work is for your eyes only, unless you choose to share. We do not record answers or any information about your engagement with this digital workbook, even if you choose to download the PDF with your typed answers.

Saving work: Please note that if you close out of the workbook in your browser your answers will not be saved. Once you have entered your answers, you can download a PDF file of the workbook with your answers.

Questions? There are a lot of complex and nuanced topics covered in this resource. Remember to go to the “Resources” or “Get Curious” sections for further explanations and definitions within each strategy. Still have more questions? Make sure to sign up for group deep dive webinars that will be available to AEP6 partners to unpack each chapter.

I’m ready to get started

This guide aims to help our partners consider additional and effective approaches to building and maintaining authentic and mutually beneficial relationships with BIPOC and ALAANA organizations.

What we ask of you

This guide prompts our partners to be curious, acknowledge challenges, and push through those challenges thoughtfully.

Take what you need

We recommend that you use this resource as a “choose your own pathway ” activity. Take what you need. This is by no means a required assignment for our AEP6 partners, and your engagement with this resource (or lack thereof) will not impact your ability to participate in the AEP6 study. However, we encourage each of our partners to review each section as they are published and consider how the content can inform and guide future steps in maintaining community relationships.

We are doing the work with you

We acknowledge that Americans for the Arts is striving to do better with maintaining and strengthening our own relationships. We are excited to do this work alongside each of our 400 participating communities.

Return to the workbook

Strategies

strategies

01.

Stop and Examine Practices

02.

Ask About Unmet Needs

03.

Show Up!

04.

Build Creative Authentic Collaboration

05.

Drive Advocacy

06.

Be a Bridge

07.

Consider Investment

Home page

Hello, we’re Americans for the Arts. We are committed to addressing equity and inclusion as a critical component of the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study (AEP6).

we address equity and inclusion by:

01.

Centering and representing BIPOC and ALAANA identifying communities — a portion of the nonprofit arts and culture sector that has been underrepresented in past studies. This change is more than simply responding to a priority.

02.

Transforming the AEP6 study: a full shake-up of the methodology to reduce systemic bias in survey design, data collection and analysis, community engagement and communications strategies, and the creation of new narratives based on the study results.

MAINTAINING & STRENGTHENING COMMITTED COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Our digital workbook is part of a series of Americans for the Arts community engagement resources intended to help local and statewide research partners identify, connect with, and maintain relationships with BIPOC and ALAANA arts and culture organizations in their community. It is a result of research, practitioner experience, and community engagement with our local and statewide research partners.

What we ask of you

This guide prompts our partners to be curious, acknowledge challenges, and push through those challenges thoughtfully.

Take what you need

We are doing the work with you

start strategy 1 how to use this workbook

Additional Community Engagement Resources

Engaging With Your Community

Making Connections with BIPOC & ALAANA Arts & Culture Organizations

Our Commitment to Accessibility

strategies

01. Stop and Examine Practices

02. Ask About Unmet Needs

03. Show Up!

04. Build Creative Authentic Collaboration

05. Drive Advocacy

06. Be a Bridge

07. Consider Investment

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