A 2017 study commissioned by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) found that 46 percent of all boards in American museums are 100 percent white, though 77 percent of museum leadership members espoused the belief that expanding the racial and ethnic diversity of their boards is essential for their institutions."  In light of the urgent need to diversify boards in the museum and art fields and create field-wide practices rooted in equity and accessibility, we have revised our mission and values. 

Mission

The Bay Area Emerging Museum Professionals is dedicated to being a resource to and an advocate for the community of early-career museum professionals by creating spaces that encourage networking, growth, equity, diversity, and professional empowerment within the museum field.

Values

• We prioritize BIPOC voices 
• We intentionally integrate DEAI into all of our practices (internal and external)
• We believe in dismantling systemic oppression and injustice 
• We do the work at home and we bring it to BAEMP
• We demand living wages from museums
• We believe in generational equality - early career professionals need a seat at the table
• We believe in lifting up the next generation of museum professionals and not perpetuating practices which serve as barriers to entry for emerging professionals
• We hold ourselves accountable for mistakes and failures, while always striving to improve our board for the field and for posterity 
• We believe values can change and this list can grow.