The Milk District’s
Statement on Cultural Equity

To support a full civic life for all, The Milk District commits to championing policies and practices of cultural equity that empower a just, inclusive, equitable community.

DEFINITION OF CULTURAL EQUITY

Cultural equity embodies the values, policies, and practices that ensure that all people—including but not limited to those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion—are represented in the development of policy; the support of the business environment; the nurturing of accessible, thriving venues for expression; and the fair distribution of programmatic, financial, and informational resources.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & AFFIRMATIONS

  • In the United States, there are systems of power that grant privilege and access unequally such that inequity and injustice result, and that must be continuously addressed and changed.

  • Cultural equity is critical to the long-term viability of the small business sector.

  • We must all hold ourselves accountable, because acknowledging and challenging our inequities and working in partnership is how we will make change happen.

  • Everyone deserves equal access to a full, vibrant civic life, which is essential to a healthy and democratic society.

  • The prominent presence of independent businesses challenges inequities and encourages alternatives.

MODELING THROUGH ACTION

To provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity, we strive to…

  • Pursue cultural consciousness throughout our organization through substantive learning and formal, transparent policies.

  • Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and report organization progress.

  • Commit time and resources to expand more diverse leadership within our board, staff, and advisory bodies.

FUELING COMMUNITY PROGRESS

To pursue needed systemic change related to equity, we strive to…

  • Encourage substantive learning to build cultural consciousness and to proliferate pro-equity policies and practices by all of our constituencies and audiences.

  • Improve the leadership pipeline by creating and supporting programs and policies that foster leadership that reflects the full breadth of American society.

  • Advocate for public and private-sector policy that promotes cultural equity.

The Milk District’s Statement of Cultural Equity is based on the work of Americans for the Arts, and the District thanks that organization for their leadership.