Creating GIA’s First Racial Equity Podcast Series

Hi everyone! Sherylynn here, GIA’s program manager. I’m very excited to share a piece of my heart with you today via this blog post, in a Q&A format, on GIA’s first racial equity podcast series.

What exactly is the GIA RE Series and why now?

The 2020 GIA Racial Equity Podcast Series is a series of podcasts where I speak with funders, arts administrators, artists, and others in the funding ecosystem about the race-centered approaches they use in their work. Some of the focus areas within the series (i.e. immigration, Black art, juvenile justice, etc.) will be discussed over two episodes with different presenters. The exciting part about having two episodes within one focus area is learning about the different approaches to addressing a similar systemic issue. I also appreciate the tips and best practices that come out of the discussions I have. For example, when supporting artists with varying US citizenship statuses, funders should engage in dialogue with the artists around consent for how projects will be shared (thanks, Adriana Rios, for that helpful tip!). That, to me, is an example of truly and thoughtfully standing with the artist. It is my hope that practices like this one will resonate with listeners and encourage deeper thinking and mindset shifting.

When did you start planning? How did you decide upon the focus areas and featured participants?

The planning for the podcast series began at the beginning of 2019. Nadia Elokdah (our extraordinary vice president) and I thought about focus areas that are most clearly understood as being associated with race. We also sifted through our network of dynamic speakers, identified who would be open to sharing how they implement their approaches, and we considered the diversity of the speakers themselves. We asked ourselves, “Are we elevating the voices of ALAANA peoples and communities as we discuss these issues of race? Are we hearing from people who are not only funders, but artists, lawyers, and others who play a role in the funding ecosystem?” In terms of the questions asked on the podcast, we thought about what we have been seeing in the field and what questions we have received from our membership about racial equity, and we developed points of entry/inquiry based on this.

Why do you light up so much when you talk about the series?

I truly believe in this work. I am passionate about racial equity and strive to lead us closer to what Walidah Imarisha coins “visionary fiction,” a world of justice that can only be visualized or imagined. My personal racial equity journey is intentional, and as I continue to blossom into a more deeply race-conscious Black woman, this series nurtures this journey. It is truly a gift to learn and engage in dialogues that I know will be helpful to those who have been misinformed and underinformed about race and racialization.

Any last words?

Yes! No matter where you are on your racial equity journey, even for those of you who are still at the “packing to the leave home” part of the journey, keep going. If you’re walking against the moving sidewalk that is our seemingly polarized society, you’re on the right path. Oh, and even though February is over, the Black History Month celebration continues! Keep celebrating with us and tune into our next podcast release on March 17. Lastly, as Dr. Martin Luther King says, “Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.”

Until next time!