Our Commitment to Addressing Racism and Injustice

To The Works Museum community,

I’ve spent a lot of time lately thinking about what to say and how to address the events of the past week as an organization. We are grieving with our community, and contemplating our role in addressing these injustices. For our staff, this has been a time of listening, learning, and confronting our own prejudices.

Our Museum serves a diverse population of students from Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding suburbs who have undoubtedly been deeply affected by the events of the past week. Our day-to-day work focuses on STEM education and closing the achievement gap, but these events have been a poignant reminder of the systemic racism that is deeply ingrained in our society.

So we’re committing ourselves to being uncomfortable as we learn – and unlearn where necessary – how to address racism. As an organization, we are making a commitment to our black students, parents, teachers, and employees. We will take a stand against racism when we encounter it, and to be open to correction if we make mistakes. We will not tolerate racism and discrimination within our walls. We will take steps to educate our staff. We will examine our own policies and procedures, and adjust them accordingly. We will reach out to our schools and partners in our community and offer help for their immediate needs. We will amplify the voices of the BIPOC community. And most importantly, we will continue to listen.