Since the tragic killing of George Floyd earlier this year, there have been scores of news reports about the hundreds of millions of dollars pledged and/or donated to organizations committed to fighting for racial justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, or to address unconscious bias. I believe a portion of this money should be shared with arts organizations to help facilitate and foster the social changes necessary for transforming this era of racial injustice into an era of recognition and respect for the dignity of all people.

Why give money to the arts? Throughout every pandemic—and racial injustice is indeed an epic pandemic—the arts continue to define, shape, and sustain the narrative of the general population. Artists are natural innovators who can provide insight and help us consider solutions to the challenges we are confronting. Their work stimulates collective imagination; stirs our sense of possibility and has been shown to inspire us to action.

The arts often challenge us to examine our perceptions and probe our fears. Most important, to engage with the arts is to engage in a dialogue with the work and see ourselves in “other.” From music and dance, to theater and spoken word; from paintings and sculpture, to photography and design—the arts historically have been our greatest source of light and hope whenever we have found ourselves mired in chaos, confusion, and darkness.

I want to share some of the ways I believe the arts can best be utilized to ensure that this is indeed a transformational time in American history:

• Anti-racism, arts education initiatives can empower children to recognize racist behavior in themselves and others and provide them with the language and social skills to address it.

• Funding is needed for new productions of works by artists of color—works that leverage the arts to address both history and racial injustice and provide opportunities for learning, growth, and healing.

• Civic organizations should partner with the arts as a platform to demonstrate and promote the vision of what building a just and equitable society looks like.

• Civil rights organizations should incorporate events, performances, and workshops to artistically translate and help implement social justice initiatives.

Some of those resources also could be used to help our arts and cultural institutions establish long-term programs that address issues of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access (EDI&A), so that the future of these organizations accurately reflects America’s growing multicultural population.

For example, the Ford Foundation recently announced that it has partnered with several foundations and major donors to make available millions of dollars in unrestricted national and regional grants to arts organizations in the communities of People of Color (PoC). The grants are part of a still-expanding campaign called “America’s Cultural Treasures,” which was initiated by Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, to provide critical funding to organizations that have had a significant impact on America’s cultural landscape despite historically limited resources, and to honor the diversity of artistic excellence and expression that they represent. To date, close to $160 million has been raised from 16 foundations and major donors.

What other arts-based programs could make a difference?

• The establishment of multi-year training programs led by a team of People of Color (PoC) for the staffs of cultural and arts organizations to help them embody the principles of EDI&A in all aspects of their business and artistic operations with an accountability plan that is evaluated monthly.

• Provide funding for executive leadership training for PoC within the arts community that includes mentorship.

• Make available paid internships to artists and arts administrators of color that includes a stipend that exceeds their cost of living expenses in the market where they are working, so they can focus on what they’re learning instead of having to take a second job.

• Prestigious arts awards programs, such as the Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, and Grammys, should incorporate EDI&A in the way they train, staff, and program their annual televised presentations, and they should add an EDI&A category to recognize industry innovation and leadership in this area.

• Provide equitable pay for PoC in the television, film, and publishing industries.

Without safeguarding and engaging the arts at this juncture in our nation’s history, we are likely to return to the previously unsustainable methods of tackling the effects of white supremacy and racial injustice. We risk rehashing old ideas and ineffective policies that did little to uproot the core values that justify the dehumanization and devaluation of the lives of People of Color.

Billions of dollars have been pledged or donated since May 25, 2020. Let’s reach out to civic and civil rights organizations and offer partnerships that will help them achieve their goals, as well as encourage them to direct some of this money to fund arts initiatives and engage artists in efforts that can truly help change the course of history.