June 2, 2020

Dear Members of our Museum Community,

American history teaches us that change in our society begins with protests that break down structured oppression. The role of our museums is to tell the stories inherent in our collections and help our audiences understand how they fit into our art, history, and culture. We all need to amplify and strengthen the work of our museums to combat institutional racism, injustice, and violence against people of color.

The Museum Association of New York exists to connect museum professionals and support our organizations. To echo the call to action used by protestors during the AIDS pandemic, Silence = Death. We call upon our entire community to speak up, to share what you are doing at your museum - what you are doing personally - to affect change and to stand up as an ally. We want to hear from you. By sharing, we can learn from one another, spark hope, and create meaningful change. 

We will hold space in our emails, social media feeds, and during our June 12 Virtual Meet-Up to hear from you. Please submit your thoughts in writing to speakout@nysmuseums.org. 

With hope for change,

Erika Sanger