aam

AAM has a new leader. Congratulations to Marilyn Jackson and to AAM more broadly, for selecting her as their President and CEO! This is great news for the Alliance and for the field more broadly, given AAM’s impact on us all.

We celebrate the selection of a Black female leader for the largest and most impactful organization in the Museum industry. This historic milestone is long overdue and makes us hopeful for the future, especially given Marilyn’s past experience in justice and equity centered work for the Muhammad Ali Center. We are optimistic that Marilyn will be able to implement the much needed changes within the AAM’s institutional practices which in turn carry a far reaching impact on the Museum industry.

There have been other BIPOC folks in leadership positions at organizations who have not advanced the cause of equity and justice, either through inaction, antagonism, or simple lack of institutional support. Given her past work, we anticipate that Marilyn will not fall in this category and will prove to be an effective leader that advances justice and equity in the museum field.

Cultural organizations in the recent past have selected Black women for leadership positions without empowering them to do the job they were brought on board for. We hope that Marilyn will receive the support from AAM’s board, staff, and the broader museum field to do the job she has been hired to do.

For our part, Museums & Race will continue to be an independent voice in the field advocating for the importance of justice and equity and for a future that is radically different from the one we live in today. We will continue to ask for recognition of the truth of matters before declaring the success of reconciliation. In closing, let us all take this moment to acknowledge the work that has been done so far, and the work that remains before us yet. We go into this year with the positive aspirations that Marilyn’s hiring will serve as the moment when we can once again begin working together to advance the cause of racial justice.