Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in The Victor Manuel Gomez Music Foundation
The Victor Manuel Gomez Music Foundation believes that equity in education is vital to the success of all in our society – equity that is inclusive of the diversity in all people. Because we believe that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive society is a better one, we are committed to pursuing organizational policies and practices that move us forward towards that end in our role as educators and leaders.
VMG is committed to pursuing organizational policies and practices that are just, inclusive, equitable, and reflect the cultural richness of our students, our teachers, and our school communities.
To fully embrace and embody diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and social justice at VMG Music Foundation, we commit to
- Implementing internal policies and practices that support diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels of our organization.
- Providing transparency to our staff and supporters around our decision-making processes.
- Engaging in open dialogue with our partner schools to understand and align ourselves with their needs.
- Using music to advance equity for marginalized and vulnerable students and bringing a social justice lens and a culturally responsive approach to classroom activities.
-
Training music educators and staff to support the lived experiences of students of all cultures, ethnicities, gender identities, gender expressions, ages, physical and mental abilities, religious beliefs, and sexual orientations.
-
Joining our peer organizations in advocating for systemic change and greater investment in education.
-
Being held accountable for our work and our actions.
IMPORTANT DEFINTIONS
In an effort to maintain transparency and invite accountability, VMG Music Foundation is sharing our organizational definitions of some key terms in our anti-racism work.
Diversity
Diversity is the breadth of representation VMG Music Foundation manifests in terms of the people it employs, serves, works with, and is governed by, as it relates to cultures, ethnicities, gender identities, gender expressions, ages, physical and mental abilities, religious beliefs, and sexual orientations. This concept of Diversity is founded upon acceptance and respect, and the conviction that these differences make VMG a better, more effective organization.
Equity
At VMG Music Foundation, we recognize that although not everyone starts with the same advantages and resources, everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed. The achievement of Equity often requires additional, purposeful efforts to ensure that those who are oppressed can reach the same levels of success as those with power. Equity means working to understand, help facilitate, and advocate for the distribution of the resources that individuals and groups in our community–including students, teachers, staff, board members, and others–need to be successful and happy, with an eye towards the equity of outcomes, and not only on the equality of current investments.
Inclusion
At VMG, we embrace people of all ages, cultures, ethnicities, family or marital statuses, gender identities, or gender expressions, languages, national origins, physical, mental, and emotional abilities/disabilities, neurodivergence, political affiliations, races, religions, sexual orientations, socio-economic statuses, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our community unique. Our goal at VMG is to make staff, students, and community members feel welcomed, included, empowered, valued, and connected through our policies, practices, protocols, and norms.
Anti-Racism
Anti-racism is a process of actively identifying and opposing racism. VMG recognizes that there is no justification for prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people because of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, and we acknowledge the role that institutions and systems play in the racial inequities we experience.
At VMG, anti-racism is achieved by taking action: creating policies, practices, protocols, and norms that prevent individual racism, interpersonal racism, institutional racism, and structural racism in our office, our classrooms, and among our community. We will address and combat racism at every level of our organization, from staff members to funders, to students, and principals.