AntiRacism Work at SANCA

In April 2020, SANCA formally created the IDEA (Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism) Committee to establish and implement strategies to ensure that SANCA reflects its community and serves all people regardless of background, identity, and socioeconomic status.

This page, and the plan listed below, serves that effort by providing transparency about SANCA’s IDEA efforts with supporters, staff, and students, as well as with the larger Seattle and King County communities it represents. SANCA recognizes that we are just beginning this work. There is a considerable amount of work to do to unseat policies, practices, and systems that uphold white supremacy.

Further, this page is not meant to applaud SANCA for tackling this work or exist as a performative gesture. Instead, the effort is meant to point to the fact that SANCA is behind the curve in addressing systemic racism in its operations and needs to take appropriate action. That work cannot be taken on rapidly and needs careful consideration and planning. This page expresses our beginning effort so that SANCA is transparent and open with its constituents about the journey we are undertaking.

The members of this committee are as follows:
Chair: Tania Nambo-Escobar
Executive Director: John Tannous
Directors: Octavia Graham and Max Clabaut
Board member: Tara Adams
Staff members: Lily Baumgart, Sam Vasquez, Trevor Asbury, Jasmine Manuel, Alyssa Hellrung, Megan Strawn
Community members: Nekole Shapiro

If you would like to provide input on this plan or if you are interested in joining the IDEA Committee, please contact Chair Tania Nambo-Escobar.

This plan has been updated in February 2021. The previous version of this plan was approved by the SANCA Board of Directors as of October 2020.

IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Antiracism) Strategic Plan

DRAFT February 2021

In 2020, SANCA formally created the IDEA committee to establish and implement strategies to ensure that SANCA reflects its community and serves all people regardless of background, identity, and socioeconomic status.

Goal #1

Transform SANCA’s leadership to increase BIPOC representation and decentralize whiteness

Objective: Add at least two BIPOC members to the SANCA Board of Directors
Actions	Responsible	Measurement	Latest Due Date	Progress Report
Change bylaws to allow a Staff representative on the SANCA Board	Board of Directors	Amended bylaws approved	September 2020	COMPLETED
Approve resolution to make next two Board members BIPOC	Board of Directors	Resolution adopted by Board	September 2020	COMPLETED
Conduct selection process for staff representative to the Board with staff input; focus on BIPOC candidates	IDEA Committee	Staff given input on selection; candidate identified and sent to Board	December 2020	COMPLETED
Contact potential BIPOC candidates to assess interest; forward interested candidates’ contact info to Board leadership	IDEA Committee	Eight or more candidates contacted + three or more sent to Board	February 2021	IN PROGRESS
Elect BIPOC staff to the Board	Board of Directors	BIPOC Staff member voted onto Board	February 2021	COMPLETED
Meet with and recruit BIPOC candidates; invite interested parties to attend Board meeting	Board President & Executive Director	Meetings with at least three candidates	March 2021	IN PROGRESS
Formally vote on two BIPOC Board members	Board of Directors	One or two BIPOC members voted onto Board	June 2021	IN PROGRESS

Objective: Add BIPOC Members to Staff Leadership
Actions	Responsible	Measurement	Latest Due Date	Progress Report
Create IDEA Committee with BIPOC staff members as leadership	Executive Director	IDEA Committee active and meeting with BIPOC chair(s)	May 2020	COMPLETE and ongoing
Add at least one BIPOC member to Staff Leadership (“Directors”)	Executive Director	BIPOC Member hired as a Director	August 2020	COMPLETED
Update and revise Staff Recruitment Policy to seek out, encourage, and assist BIPOC candidates	Executive Director, Director of Staff Success, IDEA Chair	New policy adopted by Board of Directors	May 2021	IN PROGRESS
Create IDEA director position led by BIPOC person	Executive Director	Hiring a person in this position	January 2022	IN PROGRESS

Goal #2

Provide educational opportunities on antiracism to SANCA staff and community

Objective: Provide educational opportunities
Actions	Responsible	Measurement	Latest Due Date	Progress Report
Create Antiracist Book Club for staff and SANCA community	Lily B.	Book club established and meeting regularly	August 2020	Started; needs to expand to include larger SANCA community
Install Land Acknowledgement that states that SANCA operates on land that was originally occupied by the Duwamish Tribe.	Trevor, Jasmine	Approved by the Board of Directors; posted on website	November 2020	Draft written & approved by IDEA Committee. Approved by Board.
*Create the Power of Three* to share three antiracist resources (books, podcasts, movies, etc.) every Tuesday on social media to help the SANCA community learn how to be better allies to marginalized communities**	Tania, Trevor	Power of Three and Blackout posts are broadcast every Tuesday	December 2020	Started and ongoing
Establish a shared vocabulary within the SANCA community	IDEA Committee	Host a forum to help staff and Board understand terms and objectives	May 2021	Vocabulary started within the IDEA Committee.
Conduct required staff and Board trainings on antiracism; investigate bringing outside speakers in future years	IDEA Chair	Trainings conducted and attended by all staff at least once annually	May 2021 and ongoing	IN PROGRESS

Objective: Spotlight BIPOC circus artists
Actions	Responsible	Measurement	Latest Due Date	Progress Report
Social media Tuesday Blackout features BIPOC Circus & Performing Artists – with no posts about SANCA	IDEA Committee / Marketing Director	All social media accounts feature only these posts each Tuesday	Ongoing	Started Summer 2020; completed and ongoing
Create a collage on Coach Wall in Front Office to spotlight Indigenous Circus Artists	Jasmine, Trevor, Max	Wall installed and featuring artists	March 2021	IN PROGRESS

Goal #3

Be accountable and transparent in antiracist efforts to SANCA’s community

Objective: Create opportunities for reporting and input with the community
Actions	Responsible	Measurement	Latest Due Date	Progress Report
Invite community members to IDEA Committee	IDEA Committee	At least two community members present at IDEA meetings	November 2020	Attending Staff meeting
Highlight antiracist efforts in SANCA Annual Report	Executive Director, IDEA Chair	IDEA Committee’s efforts reported in Annual Reports beginning in 2020	March 2021	IN PROGRESS
Host forums and community conversations to further the dialogue on SANCA’s antiracist efforts	IDEA Committee	Conducted at least once per year	Sometime in 2021 and ongoing	Town Hall held in August 2020 discussed antiracism framework and usage. Town Hall in February 2021 will continue this dialogue.
Create webpage on SANCA website that features this plan with progress updates and other information on SANCA’s antiracist efforts	IDEA Committee to draft content; Marketing Director to update website	Page created and published; updated with new information at least quarterly	March 2021	First draft sent to IDEA Committee for review
Assess engagement on our community education efforts	IDEA Committee	Create survey to ask community if they are reading and using the resources we are providing	March 2021	IN PROGRESS
Publish a shared vocabulary for the SANCA community	IDEA Committee	Information public on the SANCA website	November 2021	Conversation on vocabulary started within IDEA Committee

Goal #4

Allocate organization resources for IDEA Committee’s work

Objective: Invest SANCA resources in antiracist efforts and programs
Actions	Responsible	Measurement	Latest Due Date	Progress Report
Add a line item to the annual budget for antiracist efforts	Executive Director	Board-approved budget includes line item for IDEA Committee	December 2020 for the 2021 Budget	IN PROGRESS
Increase the dollar investment for antiracist efforts by minimum 100%	Executive Director	Board-approved budget includes 100% increase over 2021 for antiracist work	December 2021 for the 2022 Budget	IN PROGRESS
Include funds in the annual budget for staff training on antiracism	Executive Director	Board-approved budget includes line item for staff training	Each December	IN PROGRESS
Commit annual funding to programming for marginalized community members	Executive Director	Board-approved budget includes line item for Celestial Circus and other similar programs	Each December	IN PROGRESS
Create equitable compensation policy	Executive Director, Director of Staff Success, IDEA Chair	Public record of pay structure; staff payment accessible internally	May 2021	IN PROGRESS

Check out the Antiracist Discussion Group! This (online) space is set up for white people to work through tough or uncomfortable conversations with facilitation by members of their own race. We hope to relieve Black and Brown community members (often femmes) of the exhaustive labor of facilitation and education on these matters. However, all are welcome to join! We will meet bi-weekly to learn from readings, think critically about our actions in our own lives, and find ways to start or continue to support BIPOC people, especially Black people, in the circus community and in all aspects of life. This is a space for learning, come as you are and with a mindset of growth. Register here.