Celebrating Black History Month

Dear members of the Berklee community,

As we begin a new semester, critical conversations about Berklee’s strategic priorities and most importantly the work necessary to implement these priorities continue. We’d like to take a moment to reaffirm that diversity, equity, and inclusion remains a central focus to our work and learning within our diverse and vibrant community. 

Beyond stating our highest aspirations as learners, teachers, artists and creatives, we also humbly recognize that there is no endpoint to our work to become a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable campus. Just like any other disciplined pursuit, stating our values and goals are only the beginning. It is the daily practice of ongoing engagement and critical examination that ultimately leads to the sustained changes we are working toward as a community. 

Providing opportunities for foundational learning about core diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) concepts is one important step. To that end, we are happy to share that Berklee has begun its implementation of the Get Inclusive learning platform. The initial launch is directed toward faculty and staff, and will later expand to include students. There is also a new collection of DEI professional development offerings to support our community in fostering essential DEI-related awareness, knowledge, and skills. 

With Black History Month commencing, we are reminded that we must also continue to elevate and amplify the work of looking critically at our efforts to dismantle systemic inequities and to improve our racial climate. While we have made progress, our work to achieve full racial equity across our institution is ongoing and thus far from being done. 

We also believe it is important to create multiple opportunities to honor and celebrate the rich history and many contributions from the Black and African diaspora at Berklee and beyond. We are happy to share that coinciding with Black History Month, a series of programming and other opportunities will be offered to celebrate the talents and legacies of our Black and African diasporic community.

This year’s celebration is organized by Berklee’s Black History Celebration Committee, convened by Diversity and Inclusion in partnership with Africana Studies, Alumni Affairs, Campus Life, Community and Government Relations, the Ensemble Department, Equity, Conference and Events Services, and Special Events. The theme, Tomorrow is the Question: We are the Answer, is inspired by Afrofuturism and the 1959 album Tomorrow is the Question, by free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman. Afrofuturism is a movement that combines elements of science fiction and fantasy to explore a vision of a liberated future for the people of Black and African descent.

Berklee’s Black History Celebration kicks off with a mixer on February 1, and programming throughout the month, and beyond, will include powerful performances, service opportunities, and dialogue sessions. The full schedule and additional information about this year’s theme is available here. 

We are grateful for the myriad ways in which members of Berklee’s Black and African diasporic communities have shared their talents, gifts, feedback and suggestions to help us push forward in becoming a better community. We also appreciate the many others who have joined in these efforts across different backgrounds and identities. Our work continues and we look forward to continuing on this path together.

Happy Black History Celebration Month.

Erica Muhl
President

Lacretia Johnson Flash
Senior Vice President, DEI, Community, and Campus Culture and Climate