Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Staircases and Mountaintops: Ascending Beyond the Dream section by Willis Nomo Humphrey. Photo by Steve Weinik.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) 

STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT

At Mural Arts Philadelphia, we are deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). In collaboration with artists and partners, Mural Arts stewards 75–125 public art projects each year that amplify diverse voices of communities, creating vibrant, public proclamations of their identities, struggles, and dreams. Our murals tell stories of overcoming adversity, resilience, and hope. They inspire change by challenging perceptions, instigating conversations, and encouraging empathy.

However, our DEIB efforts are not solely public-facing. We believe that valuing DEIB must begin internally and permeate through everything we do. We aim to foster an inclusive workplace where all Mural Arts staff benefit from a diverse array of thoughts, experiences, and backgrounds. Our dedicated staff-led DEIB Committee diligently examines our organizational policies and practices to identify and address implicit and explicit systemic inequities. Through this process, constructive changes that foster an equitable and inclusive workplace are recommended to our Executive Team for strategic implementation. We also prioritize recruiting, selecting, and retaining staff who embrace and reflect the diversity of the City of Philadelphia. Our unwavering commitment to DEIB aims to ensure that all staff feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents to our mission of utilizing public art as a tool for solving intractable social challenges.

Our Workforce Diversity Breakdown 

These pie charts offer insight into our organization’s composition regarding employment status (part-time vs. full-time), gender, and racial diversity. As we continue to strive for increased diversity, transparency is key. It is important to us to share this data not only to hold ourselves accountable but also to celebrate the wide array of perspectives and experiences that make up our organization. Please note this information is kept up-to-date and is subject to change as we progress in our ongoing DEIB efforts.

Action Plans and Roadmaps 

Mural Arts has implemented an action plan to promote DEIB. The plan includes:

  • Regular board and staff meetings
  • Mandatory DEIB trainings
  • Revising onboarding materials to have a DEIB lens
  • Diversifying the Board

A 2023-2025 Equity Plan aims to:

  • Increase opportunities for artists of color and communities historically deprived of resources by increasing transparent communications
  • Amplify the visibility of artists of color
  • Share equitable artist compensation
  • Facilitate professional development
    Focus on business opportunities for local people of color-run vendors

Equal Employment Opportunity  

At Mural Arts, we uphold a strong commitment to equality, diversity, and respect. We steadfastly endorse a workplace that is free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, promising fair and equitable treatment for all employees.

Every employment decision we make, whether related to recruitment, hiring, promotions, demotions, terminations, compensation, performance evaluations, layoffs, transfers, training, or social programs, is based solely on individual qualifications and job requirements. We never consider factors such as race, color, creed, religion, gender, gender identity, genetic information, familial status, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, or any status protected by law.

We strictly prohibit any behavior that interferes with this policy or discriminates based on legally protected characteristics. We also stand against any form of retaliation against those who support these principles.

If any member of our team feels they’ve been subjected to discriminatory, harassing, or retaliatory treatment, we strongly encourage immediate reporting to a manager or the Executive Team. We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation, and if a policy violation is found, we will take swift and appropriate corrective action against the offending parties, up to and including termination of employment.

Our mission is to foster an inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive. We believe that our diversity is our strength and are committed to protecting it at every level of our organization.

To explore Career Opportunities at Mural Arts, visit https://www.muralarts.org/careers/.

DEIB Perspectives: Recent Blog Highlights 

Through our collection of blog posts, explore our commitment to DEIB and engage with thought-provoking discussions and inspiring stories from members of our staff and the communities we work with.

To read more, visit https://www.muralarts.org/blog/.