History

Staff on front stairs [steps] under sign "Entrance". Field Columbian Museum. © The Field Museum, GN82933.

History

As the staff and visitors of the Field Museum have become increasingly diverse, in addition to the city at large, it is important that matters related to diversity and inclusion be central to the culture here. While the Field Museum has been around since its opening in 1894, the Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (DEAI) Staff Council is a fairly new entity in the museum. The DEAI Staff-led Council was officially created in 2021. In the 4 years prior to the Council’s inception, the Museum has engaged in several DEAI initiatives such as celebrating Cultural Heritage Months, the revision of the Native North American Hall: Native Truths, and furthering engagement with black and brown communities. In 2022, the Museum welcomed a new Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Sara Furr, PhD, in addition to DEAI Coordinator, Bethany Johnson, who will help in creating a strong vision and change within the Museum.