Equity & Inclusion Timeline

MacPhail Center for Music Steps Toward Social Change

MacPhail Equity & Inclusion Commitment: Diversity, equity and inclusion are vitally important to MacPhail’s mission and vision. MacPhail is committed to ensuring the creation of policies, practices, programs, and opportunities that embed diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the organization.  

July 2020

In response to the murder of George Floyd, the DEI Committee came together to address our current stance and how to move MacPhail toward becoming a more diverse, equitable and inclusive learning community.  

The DEI committee developed 5 Action Areas: 

  1. Develop and Implement Community Support Initiatives to Share Resources
  2. Diversify MacPhail Leadership, Faculty and Staff 
  3. Provide Resources for Professional Growth to Support an Increasingly Diverse Community 
  4. Create and Share Inclusive Music Education Curriculum for Students of All Backgrounds
  5. Develop, Fund and Launch New MacPhail Programs & Initiatives 

Progress & Activity Timeline by Action Area

Area One: Community Support Initiatives

National Night Out Event was developed by the DEI Committee

July

  • MacPhail Weekly Faculty/Staff Newsletter to regularly contain educational equity & inclusion content

August/September

  • MacPhail’s Back to School Supply Drive, organized and led by Jakkee Phillips (Student Services Assistant Manager, DEI Committee member and former Ascension student/homegrown here) and other members of our Student Services Team provided resources to neighbor organizations requesting assistance. 
  • The Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA) Back to School Clinics MMEA reached out to MacPhail given our expertise in Online School Instruction to ask for guidance in navigating this upcoming virtual school year. Our Faculty presented over 13 Zoom sessions averaging around 150 participants each session.

October

  • Launched All Employee Lunch Social Hour (every Fridays on Zoom, 12:00 – 1:00)
  • Faculty/Staff social time, DEI topics are presented monthly

December

  • MacPhail Family Support Group via Facebook New group page for families who work at MacPhail and especially during this time of Covid. Led by DEI Committee Members and Program Leaders, this group will support one another, share our joys and struggles and just offer a place to relax.

MacPhail Resources Drive
Program Leaders and DEI Committee Members will begin with a school supply drive in neighborhoods we serve.

Area Two: Diversification of MacPhail Leadership, Faculty and Staff

Jakkee Phillips, Student Services Assistant Manager

August

Michael Cain, Electronic Music Recording Arts Program 

September

Christopher Rochester, Director of MacPhail Global Music Initiative

Roque Diaz, DEI Learning and Engagement Leader 

Chi-Chi Bestmann, Artistic Director, MacPhail Northside Youth Orchestra 

Krysta ”K.Raydio” Rayford, EMRA Faculty 

January

Roque Diaz, Senior Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Mikalia Bradberry, Student Services Assistant -2021; Marketing Coordinator 2021-Present

Kevin Xiong, School Partnerships Teaching Artist

Area Three: Personnel Assessment, Training and Support

August

Implemented the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) for All Employees

  • 70% of employees completed the assessment
  • Results presented to the organization

March

  • Appointing new Qualified IDI Administrators within our organization to provide individualized IDI/IDP feedback to all employees

June

  • In observance of Juneteenth, MacPhail will recognize the date as an annual holiday. This will be a day for our faculty and staff to educate and connect on the significance of this moment in Black history and we encourage our students to do the same. (For 2021, since June 19th falls on a Saturday, buildings will be closed on both Friday, June 18th and Saturday, June 19th.)

September

  • Intercultural Conflict Styles (ICS) Inventory assessment starting in 2021
Area Four: Create Inclusive Music Education Curriculum and Tools

February

  • Equity and Inclusion Education Toolkits
  • Pedagogical Advisory Committee (PAC)

A key component of the Global Music Initiative, the PAC will provide guidance and support to MacPhail’s faculty, staff and community partners regarding programs, curriculum and faculty development.

The PAC is composed of predominantly BIPOC experts in music styles and related pedagogy from non-dominant cultures in and outside of the Eurocentric canon.

Members of the PAC will provide advice and guidance on the innovation, development, and delivery of MacPhail’s programs to become culturally relevant to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. 

PAC is a resource for MacPhail faculty and staff, as well as for community partners, regarding teaching and performing music of many cultures. PAC will seek and utilize additional experts and resources to support efforts.

PAC will guide innovation efforts for the development of new programs.

PAC will assist programs with the review of existing curricula. PAC will provide guidance and assistance to MacPhail faculty in the development and delivery of new curricula.

March

  • New DEI resources available for community on MacPhail’s new website 
Area Five: Develop, Fund and Launch New Programs at MacPhail

Roderick Cox Music Initiative Scholarships
RCMI began in 2019 as a program to nurture the next generation of musicians and conductors. Scholarships are granted for three year periods to youth of color in the Twin Cities. Each scholarship is given to a student who aspires to have a future in classical music. Two students from the MacPhail Northside Youth Orchestra were awarded the RCMI Scholarship in the 2019-20 school year.

June

  • MacPhail Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee Founded
  • Established new partnership with Walker West Music Academy with Sing Play Learn programming

September

  • Sing Play Learn focuses on Culturally Responsive curriculum through series of professional development activities and a complete review of all music materials used in the SPL curriculum
  • Developed a five-year relationship with Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

Jan – Dec

  • MSAB Arts Access Grant – increasing participation in MNYO and MCYC

March

MacPhail K-12@Home
Developed as supplemental music education in response to the switch from in-person to online eLearning. MacPhail School Partnership program is pleased to continue providing custom designed online music instruction for students studying at home at no charge.

September

GMI

EMRA
Providing a catalyst for collaboration/fusion/exploration through the latest music creation and recording technologies.

Jan – Dec

MSAB Arts Access Grant (calendar 2020)– Developing Culturally Relevant Programming with North Minneapolis Partner Northside Child Development Center

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