Past Articles
Past Articles - Diversity Council
- Diversity Council Initiating Youth Subcommittee
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra Tackles Diversity with New Program
- Diversity Council Initiates Youth Subcommittee
- Merged Locals Are Windows on Changing Times
- Diversity Council Plans New Direction
- Diversity Council Opens AFM's Door to Youth and Technology in the Digital Age
- AFM Diversity Council
- Council Maps a Direction Toward a More Diverse Union
International Musician, June 2003
Diversity Council Initiating Youth Subcommittee
The AFM Diversity Council will convene a Subcommittee on Youth at the 2003 Convention in June. The subcommittee will consist of AFM delegates who are under the age of 35. With assistance and guidance from the Diversity Council, these delegates will explore issues that are relevant to younger members and will choose one person to serve on the Diversity Council. Delegates are encouraged to participate in the forming of this subcommittee at the convention. This will be an exciting opportunity to be involved in building a committee from the ground up. The full council will also convene during the convention. Look for time and locations in your program and make plans to attend.
"It's with great enthusiasm that we look forward to speaking with all delegates at the convention regarding diversity," said Diversity Council Chairman Otis Ducker. "As we move to initiate a Subcommittee on Youth, we look to empower others with a sense that we seek to better represent our members and future members. This is an opportunity to increase leadership opportunities at all levels."
The Diversity Council hopes that everyone has by now received the poster "In Tune with Diversity." This poster serves as a reminder that all styles and cultures are included in music and should be celebrated. The poster was mailed to all AFM locals in the US and Canada. Any local that has not received its posters should call the Federation. There will be a limited number available at the convention in Las Vegas.
International Musician, April 2003
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Tackles Diversity with New Program
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra announces its new Diversity Fellowship Program for young violin, cello, and bass players. In an effort to increase ethnic and cultural diversity in American orchestras, special consideration for this program will be given to candidates who are African-American, Latino, or from other groups that are traditionally underrepresented in symphony orchestras. The CSO hopes to increase the pool of musicians qualified to audition for permanent positions in major symphony orchestras.
Up to two fellows will be selected for one of two fellowship options, based on the level of musical performance demonstrated during live auditions. Both options include participating in Chicago Civic Orchestra training and activities, coaching and mentoring from members of the CSO, and participating in the CSO's education and community relations activities. The CSO Fellowship option also includes rehearsing and performing as a substitute with the CSO for a significant number of weeks during the season, while the CSO Apprentice Fellowship option includes specialized preparation for auditions, and involvement with the music programs of local universities and other educational institutions.
"There is no better way to help prepare musicians from ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds for careers as orchestral musicians than through being coached by and performing with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra," said Vanessa Moss, the CSO Association's vice president of Orchestra and Building Operations. "We are thrilled to be inaugurating this program and to do our part in helping launch the careers of orchestral musicians of color."
Applications for the 2003-2004 season will be accepted from all interested musicians, ages 18-32, for violin, cello, and bass. Application materials, including Fellowship Application form, r�sum�, and application fee, must be received by April 15. The CSO strongly encourages prospective fellows to submit a performance tape for pre-screening. Based on the results of the tapes, some applicants may be offered travel assistance to and from Chicago for live auditions.
For complete details, see ad on page 32 or visit the Chicago Symphony Web site at www.cso.org/cso_auditions_fellowship.taf.
International Musician, March 2003
Diversity Council Initiates Youth Subcommittee
The AFM Diversity Council will convene a Subcommittee on Youth at the 2003 Convention in July. The subcommittee will consist of AFM Delegates who are 35 years old or younger. With assistance and guidance from the Diversity Council, these delegates will explore issues that are relevant to our younger members and will choose one person to serve on the Diversity Council. Delegates are encouraged to participate in forming this subcommittee at the convention.
The Diversity Council has amended its mission statement. The newly revised statement reads as follows:
To reflect the diversity of our musical community and further the mission of the AFM, the Diversity Council with the assistance of the IEB, seeks to better represent our members, increase membership and raise the level of participation by all through affirmative means. This will be accomplished by educational outreach, recruitment, officer training and increased leadership opportunities at all levels. The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada is committed to creating an inclusive environment where diversity will be valued and celebrated; and where members, leadership, rank-and-file and staff will be inspired to contribute to the growth of the Federation. We envision our organization as one where the leadership reflects and affirms the diversity of our membership.
International Musician, March 2003
Merged Locals Are Windows on Changing Times
by Stephen Laifer, Local 78 (Syracuse, NY)
It seems unthinkable in this day and age, but many AFM members can still recall a time not so long ago when the nation's union musicians were segregated into separate local unions for blacks and whites. During the early part of the 20th century, black musicians in most parts of the country, excluded from all-white locals, were forced to form their own local offices to help their members secure jobs and establish union wages. They did so successfully for decades, using innovation and creativity to serve their constituencies with great distinction.
The US Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, however, marked a period of tremendous change. Demonstrations and race riots rocked many urban centers, while Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s policy of nonviolent protest brought infrastructure to a standstill, forcing lawmakers to address the issue of segregation on a national scale.
AFM local offices were not exempt from change. While there were notable exceptions where dual locals never existed, hyphenated local numbers attest to the integration between the 50 formerly separate "colored" offices and their whites-only counterparts. "During desegregation, musicians across the Federation came to realize they were simply working against each others' interests," says Otis Ducker, life member of Local 161-710 (Washington, DC), past secretary-treasurer and chairman of the merger committee for the former black Local 710, and present chairman of the AFM's Diversity Council. "The merging of formerly segregated local offices meant learning how to see beyond racial and philosophical differences, looking instead to the greater good of all musicians. In many parts of the country this was exceedingly difficult, but the amalgamations signified a monumental step forward for the Federation and for organized labor in general."
As head of the Diversity Council, Ducker is responsible for increasing representation across all racial and gender boundaries. "It has been nearly 40 years since the mergers began, and it is important for us to look back at what happened," he says. "Only that way can we continue to learn from these events, and continue to make progress based on what we've accomplished so far."
The living, firsthand history of the AFM is slowly disappearing with the passing of older members, but recorded accounts from the archives of many merged locals have added to modern commentaries by those who lived through the period of unification. While by no means representative of the diverse circumstances countrywide, the examples of four major cities teach important lessons about a time of uncertainty and upheaval.
Los Angeles: Setting the Stage
Civil rights struggles had an enormous impact on the music business, specifically the largely West Coast-based broadcast and film recording industry. Black musicians were seriously underrepresented on the Los Angeles music scene, and those that did work had to accept whatever wage scales the white union (Local 47) had negotiated. Meetings were called among black and white musicians in the early 1950s to discuss the matter, and the interracial amalgamation effort rapidly gained ground with public interest and strong support from both sides bolstered by big-name Los Angeles area musicians.
In February 1952, the Local 767 committee formally presented its wish to merge with Local 47 and was informed that Local 767 members could, under AFM Bylaws, apply for Local 47 membership if Local 767 were dissolved. This proved unacceptable to the committee, since life members of the black local would lose all seniority; moreover, members over 40 would lose their Local 767 death benefits. The board of Local 767 officially rejected the proposal, and requested that Local 47 put the issue to its membership. At this stage the Los Angeles NAACP became involved, as well as several black newspapers. Local 47's own pro-merger committee also lobbied hard for acceptance. Marl Young, a board member of Local 767 at the time of the merger and present life member of Local 47, feels very strongly that it was precisely this dedication on the part of white musicians that made amalgamation possible. "The white local published pro-merger articles in their journal, and they actually voted in favor of amalgamation first, in December 1952," explains Young, a studio musician who later became the first black musical director for a major network television show. "They had an unusual provision in their bylaws at that time. Normally it would take a two-thirds majority to amend a bylaw, but if a proposition were presented around the time of an election, it could be passed by simple majority vote. The Local 47 proposal to merge passed by 233 votes."
The following month, membership of Local 767 took the same voteand surpassed the required two-thirds majority, obtaining almost 75% in favor. That isn't to say, however, that the officers of either local favored a merger. "Our local officers fought it, and the white local officers also fought it," adds Young. "There is even evidence on record that the officers cooperated in blocking the amalgamation. They obviously wanted to keep their jobs, and were afraid of change."
Young feels that for the general membership, the issue was more than just about improving working conditions. "It was about Los Angeles musicians working under the stigma and disgrace of segregation, regardless of their race," he says. "We all knew, black and white, that it had to end."
The merger of Locals 767 and 47 was finally achieved in Los Angeles in 1953, after nearly three years of negotiation. Young was eventually elected as the first black officer of the merged local in 1956 and executive secretary in 1974. He helped shepherd the first successful amalgamation of formerly segregated local offices in the US, opening the door for others across the country to follow suit.
Chicago: Secret Meetings
Merger circumstances varied tremendously from city to city, and the mergers didn't always go as smoothly as they did in Los Angeles. According to an in-depth account by Local 10-208 Executive Board Member Charles Walton, acrimony ruled the situation in Chicago's all-black Local 208, where members initially had to meet covertly to discuss consolidation. Many black musicians expressed fears that they would be completely swallowed up by white Local 10, in a situation similar to Local 47.
Local 208, the first black musicians' labor organization in the US, had been chartered in 1902. Its affiliation with the AFM marked the beginning of the Federation's official recognition of separate "colored" local offices, as they were called, in areas served by all-white locals.
In Chicago, as in Los Angeles, segregation effectively prevented black musicians from participating in broader performance opportunities, particularly classical music. Also, black musicians were only allowed to work in certain parts of the city--while their white counterparts could work anywhere. Maurice Grice played horn in the Chicago area in the '50s and '60s, and he recalls that professional opportunities for a black classical player were limited. "We knew that a merger wouldn't result in a floodgate of opportunities for black classical musicians," says Grice, a Local 10-208 life member. "Things didn't change much for the rest of us, at least not right away. We had some black classical orchestras, but they were more community-based activities. The merger would benefit the jazz musicians, those who played in lounges and clubs around the city."
Grice also performed in a jazz combo, the Tom Tones, so he did experience both sides of the situation. "The state of separate locals was severely holding back Chicago's jazz players. Time was moving on, and Chicago was being left behind," he says. "A merger just made sense, and despite the problems involved, everyone was waking up to that." Stealthy moves toward integration mounted, and in March 1963, several Local 208 members joined Local 10 independently, obtaining dual membership. Their action, described by Local 208 officers as a "raid" by Local 10 on their membership, gave rise to widespread media coverage, alarming the AFM national leadership.
Rancor between the locals grew. Charges and countercharges piled up, ultimately forcing the Federation to step in and mandate a 14-point process by which amalgamation would be accomplished. This, however, caused further problems, with several Local 10 members objecting to the Federation's requirement that only Local 208 members would be able to vote for Local 208 officers in the first election after the merger. Objectors characterized the AFM's merger terms as "reverse discrimination," resulting in Local 10 also voting against merging. In the end Local 10 was put into trusteeship, and the merger was accomplished by mandate.
Local 208 President Harry Gray, a business agent at the time, originally opposed amalgamation, but eventually came to realize that the benefits to be derived from a united front were much greater than either local's separate interests or loss of prestige. James Petrillo, who had been Local 10's president since 1922, similarly saw the utter futility in local offices effectively working against each other in the same industry. Vice president of the AFL-CIO at the time of merger, Petrillo went on to oversee the successful integration of the AFM's remaining segregated locals and, in his later years, became a spokesman for the cause of civil rights in US labor.
Boston: One Becomes Two--And Then One Again
In Boston, the merging process was similarly long and contentious, but with an added twist: blacks and whites had started off in a single integrated local office in 1892. Boston's Local 535 split from Local 9 in 1915 because black musicians, who performed in many of the city's jazz clubs, wanted to have their own identity.
Unlike Chicago's Local 10, which denied access to black musicians, Boston's separate locals enjoyed a considerable degree of mutual cooperation and tolerance. Members of one local frequently performed with members of the other, and booking agents routinely contracted both black and white musicians for the same venues. Over succeeding decades, the impracticalities of maintaining separate local offices began to surface.
In her 1993 newsletter article, Local 9-535 member and flutist Sue-Ellen Hershman quoted fellow member and trombonist James Taylor as saying, "It was foolish to have two locals in Boston. Besides, 535 had already lost a lot of members and was getting weaker." Taylor's view on the merger was not a popular one among his black colleagues, however, with a few black Boston musicians even accusing him and others of favoring a merger only because they could read music. Some Local 9 members were content with the status quo, and similarly opposed amalgamation.
In the meantime, the Department of Labor had ordered the AFL-CIO to begin the process of desegregation. Seven months after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the AFM ordered Locals 9 and 535 to merge, and sent Hal Davis (who would become the next AFM president) from the New York office to oversee the negotiations and to ensure a smooth transition.
Originally scheduled for January 13, 1969, the remerging between Local 9 and Local 535 actually took until April of 1970 to complete. Boston musicians ultimately learned from the example set in Chicago, setting aside their dissension in order to work together for the benefit of all musicians. Amalgamation was finally accomplished relatively peacefully without trusteeship--and outright absorption--of the black local. Taylor, who had been a Local 535 member since 1946, went on to become an officer in the new Local 9-535.
New Orleans: Rollin' on the River
During the 1920s, work on the Mississippi riverboats was the rationale for the creation of a black AFM local in New Orleans. For example, bands had to travel to Mobile, Alabama, the closest black local, to file contracts for jobs on the riverboat Capitol. New Orleans Local 496 was organized by these black musicians to eliminate the hassle involved in working for the strictly-union Streckfus riverboat line.
It should be stressed that Local 496 was not an all-black union. A number of whites, including drummer Barry Martyn, joined in the 1960s largely because they desired to work with black traditional jazz musicians. Ironically, they also joined because the Local 496 pay scale was lower, making it easier to obtain work.
According to minutes from board meetings at the time, merger proposals rankled many musicians, and were certainly not universally acknowledged as a positive development. At a 1969 joint board meeting, Martyn stated that most Local 496 members were opposed to a merger because of loss of tradition, identity, and the feeling that "when they merge it won't be 496-174, but will always be 174-496." The advantages of power, in other words, would always lie with the larger white constituency.
Bruce Raeburn, a member of Local 174-496 and curator of the Hogan Jazz Archive in New Orleans, explains that Local 496 and Local 174 were "very different types of organizations, catering to the needs of their members in different ways." Ducker agrees, pointing out that it couldn't have been any other way under the circumstances. He joined Local 496 at the age of 17, and recalls that the local had to develop its own unique methods of operation. "The officers of Local 496 did what they had to do, with limited resources, in order to be labor-oriented and to maintain their constituency," he says. "And they did it well, successfully combining union activities with social networking to create a way of working that was different from their white counterparts."
The local remained an important force on the New Orleans music scene until 1969, when it merged with AFM Local 174 to form Local 174-496. As in Chicago, Boston, and many other cities, officers of both New Orleans locals learned to overcome their long-established differences in favor of the common goals that outweighed them.
Abandoned for more than three decades, the Local 496 headquarters have recently been reclaimed by preservationists who recognized the crucial role the building played in the musical heritage of the city. The former rehearsal hall and meeting place also housed the local's office, and historic artifacts like union records and membership cards were found during the cleanup. The old hall is being renovated into a museum, officially named the Negro Musician's Union Hall.
New Federation, Changing Faces
Nationwide mergers improved the financial conditions for most black musicians, but desegregation also produced some unforeseen repercussions. One trait common to these four merged locals, and others across the country, was a falling-off in the number of black delegates sent to postmerger AFM conventions. Before desegregation, the 50 "colored" locals each sent several members to represent them at conventions. This number dropped rapidly over succeeding years, since merged locals usually had a white majority, and most of the temporarily black-elected delegates were defeated in subsequent elections.
Hershman's Boston account mentions black delegates speaking prophetically at conventions just prior to the Federation's merger mandate. "They felt it was coming," recalled one delegate, "and [they] would say, 'Pretty soon, you won't be seeing many of us here.'"
Ducker agrees, saying this was unavoidable due to the simple fact that blacks were far outnumbered in the Federation after mergers. On the other hand, however, he points out that desegregation in fact encouraged diversity in nearly every component of the union. "Bylaws guarantee representation of African-Americans on the national level, and we now have local offices with African-American men and women as presidents and board members," he says. "These are particularly positive developments."
There remains Grice's point to address: the fact that while merged locals may have benefited black jazz players, they have not realistically opened new doors in traditionally white-dominated areas like classical music, at least not yet. "We held out hope that being integrated would give us more opportunities to play," says Grice. "Of course nothing happens overnight, and we didn't just suddenly fill the ranks of symphony orchestras. When I was growing up in Chicago, there were a great many talented young string players who could have contributed to today's orchestras. Sadly, most stopped studying because they saw far more employment opportunities for themselves by playing the saxophone or clarinet in a jazz band. So now we have a whole generation of very few black classical string players, and young children who show little interest."
While blacks and other minorities remain scarce in symphonic organizations, the situation in classical music is also rapidly evolving. Many orchestras have instituted outreach programs and educational curricula to increase awareness of opportunities in classical music, and to redress the racial imbalance.
Ducker acknowledges that there is still much to be done, but stresses that mergers have nevertheless helped the Federation come a tremendously long way. "We recognized the benefits to be had by merging 40 years ago, and we came to realize that they far outweighed any disadvantages. We moved beyond our differences," he says. "Have we been successful? Relatively so. We've eliminated the possibility of employers pitting one group of musicians against another because we now have one union, and one set of terms and conditions."
More importantly, though, Ducker says, desegregation overcame something far more scurrilous: rank discrimination. "We no longer judge musicians based on the color of their skin but on the quality of the music they play," he says. "Though we still have work ahead, we are moving our union to the point where we realize that there is beauty in diversity, and to be different is positive." The AFM has an opportunity to achieve cohesiveness like no other organization in the country because it welcomes so many different kinds of music and so many different kinds of people. "I think we can take tremendous pride in that," concludes Ducker, "and in our efforts to ensure a very different--and brighter--future for all American musicians."
International Musician, December 2002
Diversity Council Plans New Direction
by Michael Muniz, Director of Latin Organizing and Otis Ducker, Chairman Diversity Committee
How many different styles can you play on a guitar? Classical, rock, R&B, jazz, Tejano, countrythe list goes on and on. AFM members have differences of musical style, culture, and heritage. The union binds members and affords them the power to fight for musicians' rights. Music in itself knows no diversitynotes are notes. Musicians take these notes and add their own sense of diversity to give their music meaning.
It is in this context that AFM President Thomas Lee has appointed a brand new Diversity Council that has committed itself to looking at the issues of diversity. This will include outreach to musicians who are members of the AFM, as well as musicians who are not, and can serve as an instrument for expansion and change.
The Diversity Council met at AFM headquarters in New York City in October. After rounds of introduction, Council Chairman Otis Ducker of Local 161-710 (Washington, DC) cautioned that the council's mission would not be an easy one. He suggested that the council focus on moving in new directions to provide members with a greater sense of unity. "I think that the task we've been handed by President Lee is a big one, but it's doable," says Ducker. "We need to put things in perspective, and realize that when we say diversity in the AFM you're talking not only about gender, but also about racial and musical diversity. How you bring all of that into some focus and make sure that the AFM is responsive to all of these areas of diversity is a big chore."
President Lee made note of the AFM's recent successes and how they relate to diversity for members and future members, including the International Musician and its range of cover stories. Over the course of two days the council redefined itself. The council engaged in discussions with Communications Workers of America (CWA) National Education Specialist Dennis Serrette and AFL-CIO Deputy Director of Civil and Human Rights Matthew Finucane. The council's agenda was filled with defining diversity, establishing goals, discussing each speaker's points, reviewing the previous council's work, and setting the future goals of the new council.
Serrette spoke to the council about CWA's history regarding civil rights and their Committee on Equity, which dates from 1973. The CWA Equity manual states, "We must attempt to better understand our differences and work through our prejudices so that we can celebrate and respect our diversity. Different does not mean better or worse, inferior or superior. We must remember that we share one thing in commonour union and our struggle for justice on the job. That is what unites us." Finucane gave the council a history of diversity among the AFL-CIO's 16 million members and their constituency groups.
There was a common thread throughout the presentations at the two-day meeting: the success of the council depends upon clear communication throughout the union. All levels of the AFM (national officers, local leadership, and rank-and-file members) need to know what is going on, and have to be committed to the concept of diversity and to the necessary changes in behavior. The council agreed that this acceptance must begin with the national officers, and the understanding that there are different sensitivity issues at each level. While the list is long, short-term goals of the council include adding council representation for both Canada and our younger membership, establishing a future budget, implementing standing committee status for the council, and setting up more opportunities to speak at AFM conferences.
The Diversity Council thanked past members for their initial hard work and the input they provided to the Federation and its locals. The council will continue to evolve over the next few months.
AFM President Thomas Lee and Diversity Council members explore future initiatives
AFL-CIO Deputy Dir. of Civil and Human Rights Matthew Finucane (right) addresses the Diversity Council.
From left to right, Diversity Council Members (standing): Sahid Fawaz, AFM presidential assistant; Madelyn Roberts, president, Local 586 (Phoenix, AZ); William Marszalek, secretary, Local 60-471 (Pittsburgh, PA); Charles Walton, AFM delegate, Local 10-208 (Chicago, IL); Chair Otis Ducker, AFM delegate, Local 161-710 (Washington, DC); Ginger Shults, vice president, Local 433 (Austin, TX); Michael Muniz, AFM director of Latin Organizing & Education; (seated) Tina Morrison, president, Local 105 (Spokane, WA); AFM President Thomas Lee; Charles McDaniel, secretary, Local 15-286 (Toledo, OH). Not pictured: Phil Bowler, president, Local 52-626 (Norwalk, CT).International Musician, October 2001
International Musician, March 2001
Diversity Council Opens AFM's Door to Youth and Technology in the Digital Age
Diversity Council Steering Committee at the Reed Whipple Cultural Center in Las Vegas. Standing, l to r: Patricia Majors, Leslie Redd, Gerard Masse, Daniel Redd, Mike Muniz. Seated: Tammy Kirk, Debbie Dansby-Wells, Bennie Keys, Alfonso Pollard. Not pictured: John McCutcheon, Stanton Davis.
What do you get when you mix Hip-Hop, Jazz, Rap, hundreds of young musicians, professionals, educators, music industry representatives, government arts organizations, members of Congress, Union Summer, the city of Las Vegas, and the AFM? The first ever AFM Youth Conference!
Young Sounds 2001--Music Careers: Youth for the Future will explore jobs, performance opportunities, new digital technologies, copyright protection, and networking. At the 1999 AFM Convention, delegates supported the following Diversity Council mission: "In order to truly reflect the diversity of our musical community and further the mission of the AFM, the Diversity Council seeks to increase membership, service musicians, and raise the level of participation through affirmative means. This will be accomplished by educational outreach, recruitment, officer training, and increased leadership opportunities at all levels. We aspire to these goals by including all musicians while focusing on minorities, women, and youth." The 2001 Youth Conference is a giant affirmative step toward meeting these goals.
The AFM Diversity Steering Council held meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada, February 4-6 to plan the conference. The Youth Conference, presented in cooperation with the city of Las Vegas, will be held June 23-25 at the Reed-Whipple Community Center. In addition to working with internationally recognized artists in Jazz, Hip-Hop and Rap, participants will have the opportunity to audition for two All-Star ensembles. Seminars, workshops, and panel discussions on the music business, career opportunities, recording technology, the AFM, and many other topics will be open to conference attendees. On Monday morning, June 25, attendees will be bused to the Riviera Hotel to witness the opening of the AFM 94th International Convention and be recognized for their participation. The Youth Conference will culminate on the evening of June 25 with a gala performance and awards ceremony at the Sammy Davis, Jr. Festival Plaza Amphitheater on the city's west side.
The AFM is proud that this is shaping up as a true community event. AFM President Steve Young states, "Never before has the International brought so much goodwill and resources to bear for the good of one community. Likewise, the cooperative work between the AFM and Local 369 establishes a precedent that we hope will continue for many years." Many partnerships are being developed to ensure the success of the conference. The City of Las Vegas Department of Leisure and Tourism is one of the principal partners of the AFM.
Through this agency, the city is donating the Reed-Whipple Cultural Center as the center for conference activities. The city has also graciously provided the West Las Vegas Arts Center and the Sammy Davis, Jr. Festival Plaza for workshops and the final concert performance. Patricia Harris, Cultural Field Supervisor for the city, has been enormously helpful and graciously hosted the Council's planning meeting. Dr. Ken Hanlon, Professor of Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is assisting along with Local 369 President Frank Leone, and Secretary-Treasurer Thom Pastor. Other partners to date include the Young Sounds of Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Houston, the AFL-CIO, Clark County Public Schools, Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California, Congressman Collin Peterson of Minnesota, and Coca Cola to name a few.
To insure the inclusion of ideas from the entire AFM international community, the Diversity Council Steering Committee has expanded its membership. Joining the committee are Gerard Masse, Vice President of Local 406, Montreal, Canada. In addition, the AFM has enlisted intern Leslie Redd of Los Angeles, California. The committee welcomes input from the Canadian perspective. Leslie Redd, along with his brother, Daniel Redd, are trained in new music sound technology and are Rap/Hip Hop artists.
The Conference is open to everyone. If you are a Hip-Hop, Jazz, or Rap artist, let us hear from you and keep your eyes open for conference updates. If you or members of your local would like information on how to participate, contact the AFM Diversity Council through President Young's Office or e-mail to diversity@afm.org.
International Musician, August 2000
AFM Diversity Council
The AFM wants its members, old and new, to be aware of the AFM Diversity Council. This is a group of members and union officers who are working to make sure that our union fulfills its promise of representing all musicians.
To be fully representative of the full range of musicians in our society we must reach out to musicians from the many ethnic and cultural backgrounds who have not yet found a place in our membership and leadership. We are also reaching out to musicians performing all styles of music whether in the historical mainstream or the newest genres.
The Diversity Council is beginning the process of setting up committees in our locals to reach out in local communities for greater inclusiveness. The AFM has many resources to offer all musicians. We want the AFM to be a good home to all musicians. We hope you will participate in outreach committees in your local and help to start them wherever there are musicians who could benefit from belonging to our union.
International Musician, April 2000
Council Maps a Direction Toward a More Diverse Union
by John McCutcheon, AFM Local 1000
"There wasn't enough time and there definitely were not enough chairs."
That was the overwhelming response to the AFM's Diversity Council meetings at this past year's convention in Las Vegas. The room was overflowing with delegates. The exhilarating discussions which ensued convinced all involved that the time is right to develop more creative ways to seek out, identify, and involve membership with our locals and the Internationalparticularly new, younger, and more colorful membership. As someone pointed out during the lively exchanges, "If a musician involved in the most popular kind of music today, Hip Hop, were to walk on to the convention floor, what would her first thought be? I doubt it would be: 'This is my union!'"
When President Young charged the newly formed Diversity Council with its mission to "increase membership, service musicians, and raise the level of participation through affirmative means," he firmly planted the flag of diversity in AFM soil.
The Steering Committee of the Diversity Council held a two-day retreat at CWA Headquarters in Washington, DC, in early February. Resource people from across the labor movement were on hand to lend their expertise and experience. Representatives from the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, A. Phillip Randolph Institute, Pride@Work, AFL-CIO Civil Rights Department, AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees, as well as the NAACP, the Labor Heritage Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts shared their insights. Each organization pledged to work with the AFM on a continuing basis and the committee, in turn, promised to encourage mutual involvement on the national, regional, and local levels.
The two constants that we heard from each of these labor organizations were an emphasis on youth and on organizing. These organizaions have specific youth outreach programs that include scholarships, training, mentoring, youth memberships, political education, and often youth organizational components that afford an opportunity for young people to have focused development and solidarity.
Similarly, organizing was more than individual campaigns. It was something permeating the entire culture of the unions themselves and was not confined to a specific sector of the membership. Training components, support for direct action, and organizing training were key.
In order for the AFM to take its first step toward achieving a younger, more diverse membership, the steering committee must look at where we are now.
We determined that a demographic survey was essential not only in assessing our current status but in our ability to track progress. Together with the AFM's Web site, the International Musician, and other local-based initiatives, we hope to get a better idea of who we are.
The second step is to expand training opportunities as they currently exist throughout the AFM and the entire labor movement.
Third, a handful of locals already have Diversity Committees in place. These are the most important teachers of how to conduct such work on the local level. We will support their efforts and also encourage these committees to share their experiences with the AFM as a whole in the hopes of learning from their victories and shortcomings.
Diversity, like organizing, is something that must permeate the entire culture of the union. It is about giving everyone an opportunity to see themselves when they look at the union. As AFL-CIO Civil Rights Director Richard Womack challenged, "If I were to take a Polaroid of this group right now and pass out a copy to each of you, what's the first thing you'd look for in that photograph?"
Diversity also means looking at the way we organize in a whole new light. Working within communities, asking, learning, establishing coalitions, rallying local supportand understanding that solidarity goes both ways. If we expect community support for musicians' concerns, we must be prepared to become involved in community issues.
It takes viewing our work through the eyes of that Polaroid: broadening our focus so that our publications, our education and training programs, our organizing drives, and our gatherings afford folks the means to see themselves. When people see themselves not only in the International Musician but in their locals' front offices, when that Hip-Hop musician goes out on the convention floor and says, "Yeah, this is my union!" then we're on the right track.
Until then, there isn't nearly enough time, but there's definitely going be more chairs at the table.
