In the Trump era, the UK sector’s commitments to equity and inclusion risk being quietly eroded

Within days of President Trump’s executive order, in which he described diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as “dangerous, demeaning and immoral” and directed administration agencies to terminate all DEI units, positions and programmes across federal government departments, federally funded museums – the Smithsonian Institution and Washington DC’s National Gallery of Art – had closed their diversity offices, sparking international debate. 

In the intervening weeks, the widespread impacts of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to discredit, dismantle and eliminate any initiatives perceived to be linked to inclusion and equity have continued to receive global attention.

Most recently, the New York Times compiled a list of hundreds of words, taken from documents including government memos, official and unofficial guidance, that have been flagged by federal departments to either limit or avoid.

The list points to a pattern of “disappearing words” that is undoubtedly intended to not only direct the activities of government departments but to influence wider national and international conversations around the future of DEI policy and practice.

Although there have been reports that some British businesses are rolling back their commitments to EDI – the acronym more commonly used in the UK – in the wake of events in the US, so far, there is little evidence of UK cultural institutions changing their policies and public statements.

However, in our conversations with wide-ranging museums, galleries and heritage organisations across the UK we are already noticing increased levels of anxiety around some aspects of EDI-related work.

We are not being directed to halt EDI-related work in the UK and yet we can nevertheless already discern the impact of events in the US.

Disproportionate management scrutiny over routine decisions, as well as subtle shifts in language and a nervousness around terms and concepts that have been used across academic and professional contexts for many years, are beginning to appear in everyday conversations in UK museums.

Even more worryingly, these conversations sometimes involve a more direct questioning of the legitimacy of, and the need for, leading-edge EDI initiatives that seek to address systemic inequalities. 

In this context, we need to be alert to the ways in which inclusion and equity can be incrementally and sometimes quietly eroded, and be clear about and champion the commitments to EDI that underpin our sector.

Now is the time to go further and deeper and not allow the wider political context to undo progress. It is important to recognise the need to continue this work and think even more deeply about how museums take this forward at this critical moment in global politics.

The rationale for the cultural sector to lead in this area is incredibly strong. Museums, galleries and heritage institutions are a core part of the UK’s public cultural infrastructure.

They offer unique opportunities for people to come together in shared public spaces and are widely recognised for their societal benefits, including their contributions to the creation of a convivial and cohesive civic society and the nurturing of reflective individuals and engaged citizens, contributions that are so vital to democracy.

Whilst some museums are taking significant steps to change their organisational cultures, tackling deeply embedded inequalities in participation and representation and making the workplace a more inviting and enjoyable place to be for all their staff and volunteers, rolling back on EDI now will undo this work and devastate the further progress that is urgently needed.

In the UK, the legal, policy and funding structure has long-established priorities that support efforts to advance inclusion, equity and accessibility for all.

For example, through the Equality Act 2010, people in the UK are protected from discrimination and harassment as a result of specific protected characteristics and employers are expected to make reasonable adjustments to open up the workplace.

Within the Equality Act, the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) sets out very clearly the expectations that institutions in receipt of public funding and which provide public services promote equality and consider how their services affect people with different protected characteristics.

The PSED requires that museums take responsibility for their decisions and work to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations amongst and between groups with different protected characteristics.

In the UK, we are fortunate that to operate without due regard to the PSED and other anti-discrimination legislation could be unlawful. 

We still have a long way to go in understanding what it means to extend a warm welcome to everyone and generate inclusive narratives and equitable opportunities for experiences that nurture reflective individuals and engaged citizens, especially in such divided times.

This legal and policy context has generated the conditions for cultural organisations in the UK to work together to find solutions and exemplify the ways in which EDI can drive innovation and inclusive transformation.

And while the civilising history of museums means that there often remains a nervousness and anxiety around this work, it is nonetheless paramount that museums and heritage organisations continue to develop ambitious EDI plans. 

So what can museums do now? Conversations are already underway in HR, business and not-for-profit sectors which are of value to museums; in the most thoughtful and committed organisations, the messages are very clear:

• Use this moment to review where you are with your EDI work, policies, processes, training and organisational culture and take steps to deepen them.
• Stay abreast of the incredibly helpful resources being created across sectors.
• Ensure that your staff networks (for example, for people with protected characteristics) are effective and have mechanisms for influencing policy and practice, recognising that these networks strengthen staff wellbeing and the overall effectiveness of the organisation.
• Work across the sector to share and make visible learning, innovation and success.

Surveys show that people in the UK strongly support EDI initiatives. To pull back on this work now would undermine public trust in the sector, introduce significant divisions in the sector and risk reputational damage, unhappy staff and legal claims. 

In any roll back of EDI in museums less committed to inclusion, the work that will be cut first is work at the very leading edge of current initiatives such as anti-ableist, anti-racist and trans-inclusive practices. Now more than ever we need to focus on and expand this work.