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P.O. Box 30246 Charlotte, NC 28230
Our Commitment to Equity

Cultural Equity Statement

To truly achieve ASC’s vision of “Culture for All,” all Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents must have equitable opportunity to participate in the cultural life of our region as audiences, volunteers, artists, administrators, board members and donors.
We acknowledge:
We believe:
We will:

ASC Cultural equity statement background & process

ASC’s Community Investment Committee, composed of (7) ASC Board members and (5) non-members who are broadly representative of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community, drafted the initial Cultural Equity Statement for ASC in FY19 with the goals of crafting a working definition of cultural equity to guide the future work of ASC, creating a framework to set organizational policies and practices and providing external visibility for the organization’s commitment to cultural equity.

The Equity Statement was approved by the ASC Board on June 19, 2019.

CULTURAL EQUITY REPORT

ASC’s second Cultural Equity Report updates the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community on its journey on the path to cultural equity.

ASC began its cultural equity journey in 2015. In June 2019, ASC’s Board of Directors adopted a Cultural Equity Statement to create a framework for organizational policies and practices and provide external visibility for the organization’s commitment to cultural equity. ASC’s inaugural report, released in February 2021, outlined ASC’s extensive efforts to make its funding more reflective of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community after its history of inequitable funding. The report also documented ASC’s work to dismantle inequitable systems and policies within ASC and its progress, through fiscal year 2020, on the “We Will” commitments listed in the statement.

This second report provides an update on the work ASC said it would focus on in fiscal year 2021 (July 1, 2020–June 30, 2021).  

Cultural Equity Language Bank

ASC’s language bank serves to define and explain the language ASC staff uses in our cultural equity work. ASC commits to clarifying the use of any acronym or identity term where appropriate. We also commit to asking individuals to self-identify to establish equitable and inclusive language.

Beyond the Sound Bites

VIRTUAL COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS

ASC hosted Beyond the Sound Bites with the goal of sharing ASC’s equity journey, listen to residents’ feedback and incorporate that learning into ASC’s work. Below is the recording of the session hosted by Dr. Tom Hanchett, historian, History South and Janeen Bryant, director of operations, Center for Racial Equity and Education.