Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Programming with Belonging in Mind
The National Lutheran Choir acknowledges that we, as a choir of predominantly white singers, perform music that comes from traditions outside of our lived experience. We aim to honor, respect, and present the stories of others with care — especially people of color, immigrants, refugees, and enslaved Africans. African American Spirituals, Gospel, Jazz, folk songs, and songs from other cultures and traditions are a treasured resource for the choral community. Creators of these art forms have not always been given full credit for their work. The NLC is working on new ways of building relationships and generating support for organizations which represent people whose lived experience include these pieces of culture.
Creating Belonging: Expanding the Sacred Video Series
In our ongoing video series, we explore how the NLC is working to expand our understanding of sacred music to welcome people of diverse backgrounds and faiths into sacred spaces.
What makes music sacred?
Creating sacred spaces with music
Sacred music that inspires change
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee provides oversight, inspiration, and guidance for the board, staff, choir, supporters, and audience to assist NLC to become a continually evolving inclusive organization, with strategies and benchmarks by which the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion progress of the organization can be measured.
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As an organization, we begin this charter with the confession that we have been complicit in the structures and activities of systemic racism and set out this work in a spirit of repentance and humility…
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee provides oversight, inspiration, and guidance for the board, staff, choir, supporters, and audience to assist NLC to become a continually evolving inclusive organization, with strategies and benchmarks by which the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion progress of the organization can be measured.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee serves as a curator of resources for the board, staff, choir, supporters, and audience on topics of race/ethnicity, age, ability, size, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, and religion.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee engages the board, staff, choir, supporters, and audience in conversations about aforementioned topics.
With the intention of building comfort in having conversation
With the intention of building awareness
With the intention of identifying opportunities for positive growth and change
With the intention of leading by example
With the intention of building a more equitable society, nation, and world
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee identifies opportunities for “reciprocal relationships with BBI (Black, Brown, Indigenous) communities that resist notions of white saviorism” (Black Voices Matter Pledge, 2020).
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee assists the board in identifying annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training opportunities for the board, staff, and choir.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee learns about/researches world views, traditions, artistic gifts from the global community to assist with infusing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into the NLC organization.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee will perform an annual review of its achievements set out in this charter and present a report of that evaluation to the Board at its May meeting.