As we honor US Black History Month at NAS, we wanted to reach out to one of the wisest people we know to speak on the topic: Suzan Jenkins. Suzan is a NAS coach, was a fellow in our Chief Executive Program, and among many other things, serves as the CEO of the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC).
A bit more about Suzan: She has served in executive positions at the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution and the Recording Industry Association of America. A Peabody Award winning producer of the radio series Let the Good Times Roll for Public Radio International, Jenkins has been recognized for her leadership and entrepreneurial endeavors, including by the Gazette of Politics and Business, Women Business Leaders of Maryland, Jazz Alliance International, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture. Jenkins serves on the Boards of Maryland Citizens for the Arts; as a mentor for arts administrators; on the Montgomery County MD Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission and as Past President of the County Arts Agencies of Maryland. Jenkins is a leadership coach and holds an Honorary Degree in Public Service from Montgomery College, MD; a BS in Psychology and Management, and an MBA from the University of Maryland.
Here’s our Q&A with Suzan:
You lead the Arts & Humanities Council in Montgomery County, Maryland (AHCMC) – one of the most diverse counties in the US. How are you and your community honoring Black History Month this year? And in a time where definitions are particularly important, how are you thinking about and defining diversity, equity, and inclusion in your work?
Each and every day, our agency, and I am proud to say that Montgomery County MD itself, is committed to the arts through an equity, access and inclusion lens. The county is rich in African American History. From the early 1800s through the Civil War, Montgomery County, Maryland played a leading role in the Underground Railroad from the county seat of Rockville. As a member of the Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission, under the Office of Human Rights, there are hundreds of Black History Month Celebrations throughout our county.
In 2018 our board adopted the three Racial Equity Principles that I helped to craft as part of a Working Group of international leaders that took part in NAS’ Chief Executive Program: 1) Brave conversations 2) With us, not for us and 3) Power sharing. These principles, in conjunction with our everyday work, honor Black history all year, and we work to highlight those achievements not only in February through our cultural calendar, CultureSpotMC.com, but also in our day-to-day commitment to lifting the voice of the global majority. The County’s Racial Equity Resolution adopted in 2022 also buoys our principles; it states, in part, “The Montgomery County Council is committed to establishing and advancing an equitable community by striving to ensure that every enacted policy, practice, and system reflects racial equity and social justice.”
In terms of defining diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work, AHCMC is currently developing a new cultural plan for the county. We are focusing on supporting cultural expression as part of creative expression, and the importance of Belonging and intersectionality across industries and not just on the support of the arts and the direct impact on the economy. We are centering the work of the cultural plan on residents and communities rather than businesses and economics.
Our research found that while most cultural plans discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion, they stubbornly remain wedded to a focus on the needs of traditional arts and culture organizations and goals such as economic development. In line with our values and the equity principle that Nothing About Us, Without Us, Can be For Us, we’ve compiled observations gathered from residents and stakeholders during the cultural planning engagement process to better hone our understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion through the eyes of our community. This increased community understanding and commitment to equity informs and guides our work.
- Accessibility. Residents state that physical barriers for seniors and people with physical disabilities, as well as access challenges related to financial limitations, availability, and socio-economic status should be addressed.
- Inclusion. Arts leaders describe inclusion as a goal related to developing diverse audiences; non-arts participants describe inclusion as a desire to be viewed as a valued contributor to the county’s cultural landscape. Both must be addressed.
- Equity. AHCMC thinks about equity as the state of being socially just, impartial and fair, both structurally and systemically. We lean into community to understand and learn how we can achieve our equity goals, based on community feedback. For example, when surveyed, some leaders of the county’s largest arts and culture institutions sought a finite definition of equity and raised concerns that their county funding would be reduced if it were dependent on meeting an “unstated” equity goal. Conversely, art makers and culture keepers in communities of color consider equity an often-unattainable moving target. Our strategies to achieve social justice, impartiality and fairness are responsive to these varied community viewpoints and woven throughout all our work, including, but not limited to: our board recruitment, hiring practices, grantmaking, programs, community outreach, and communications.
- Cultural Heritage. Participants articulate the concept of cultural heritage as the unique, intangible expression of inherited traditions and the quest to teach and share those traditions for the sake of future generations.
- Affinity and Allyship. Leaders of culturally-specific organizations and community-based groups recognize the importance of affinity and allyship. Affinity means belonging, sharing common interests and goals, and, in some cases, cultural heritage. Allyship means a process by which those in power use their voices to advocate for underrepresented groups.
As an experienced executive and leadership coach, what wisdom might you offer leaders in this moment?
In this volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous moment, there is no better time to engage with the community. Lean in to remain informed and vigilant. Volunteer and support the causes you believe in; don’t wait for others to do the work you want to see done. Stay grounded in the truth and support independent media you know and can believe in. Don’t shy away from difficult conversations; be brave, engage, and be willing to not only listen but hear. This is a marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself and remember that change takes time. I truly believe, as Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” “For all the cruelty and hardship of our world, we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter and can bend history in the direction of justice.” President Barack Obama
Change takes a long time, but it does happen. And I am in no way tired.
Lastly, what are some things we can all do, read, watch, listen to, etc. to carry the importance of Black History Month with us into March, April, and every month year round?
These are a few of my favorite things:
No Regrets: The Music & Spirit of Billie Holiday
Grown Woman Talk: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Healthy by Sharon Malone
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History
Ain’t But a Few of Us by Willard Jenkins
On Her Own Ground by A’lelia Bundles
James: A Novel by Percival Everett
Thanks so much for taking the time to share all this with our community Suzan. If you’d like to work with Suzan (or another NAS coach), visit our coaching webpage or go to Suzan’s website here.
