ADDRESSING EQUITY, INCLUSION & SOCIAL JUSTICE The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center’s inaugural BlackLight Summit convened Black, Indiginous, people of color and LGBTQ+ dance artists from across the country for conversations, workshops and performances. The Clarice also launched “Vital Signs: Creative Arts for Black Lives Mini-Grants,” in collaboration with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy, Black Terps Matter and NextNOW Fest student curators, to award grants to artists in the UMD community who are creating projects that affirm Black life and vitality and interrogate white supremacy and anti-Blackness.
Distinguished University Professor Ruth Enid Zambrana, professor in the Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, co-authored “Equity and Inclusion: Effective Practices and Responsive Strategies,” a guidebook for college and university leaders who are committed to promoting equity, inclusion and success for traditionally and historically underrepresented minority faculty in their institutions. The guidebook drew from lessons learned during a national summit held at the University of Pennsylvania entitled “Changing the National Conversation: Inclusion and Equity,” convened in partnership with Swarthmore College and the Consortium on Race, Gender and Ethnicity at Maryland, of which Zambrana is the director.
12 | Y E AR I N R EV I EW 202 0 - 2 1
The Clarice formed a cross-departmental team to explore how to make the arts more welcoming and comfortable for patrons with autism, sensory sensitivities and other disabilities in the virtual environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. These “sensory-friendly” events include components like comprehensive “Know Before You Go” materials, interactive conversations with the performers and guides with instructions on computer controls and keyword definitions.
