Racial Equity Statement
As adopted by the Board of Directors, January 2021
The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir (OIGC) community is committed to equality and justice for all people. This is now and has always been the core of who we are. Our commitment is realized through internal work as both an organization and employer, as well as externally through our programming and performances.
Formed on a foundation of diversity, the choir is a model of Equity and Inclusion that opens doors to participants and audiences of all backgrounds. OIGC exposes a wide array of people to this historic African American music and invites audiences to its powerful message of healing, hope, and love. Through the language of music, which transcends linguistic barriers, we bring our message of unity and joy to diverse audiences near and abroad through in-person and virtual performances.
The 2020-2021 Board of Directors continues our commitment to a culture of equity through active integration of thoughtful policies that align with the following:
Commitment to the creation of policies that reflect democratic principles of equity and justice.
Administration of policies, programs, and activities to identify and avoid discrimination and barriers to access.
Institutional actions will seek to avoid adverse effects on communities of color and equity whenever possible.
Assessment based on data collected in order to evaluate the impact of our equity goals, such as population served, race, color, national origin, and income levels, of our diverse community (members, performers, and audiences) across the Bay Area and globally.
Our music is a vehicle to bring together people who might never otherwise have an opportunity to meet, and we model our commitment to unity through every rehearsal and performance.
Building a Race Equity Culture requires intention and effort. OIGC’s commitment to this effort began with our Mission Statement more than 35 years ago and flows throughout our institutional policies and practices today and into the future.