Brooklyn Music School Board Of Trustees
Statement on Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion have been at the heart of the Brooklyn Music School’s mission since our founding in 1909.  We are a vibrant community of people united by our love of music and our belief that the benefits of music education and performance should be available to everyone, of every background and income level.

Today, our school serves thousands of students at our historic location in the Brooklyn Cultural District and through our outreach program across New York City.  Some 60% of our on-site students in Fort Greene are people of color, as are approximately 70% of students in our outreach programs, and 60% of all outreach students are from families living below the poverty line. 

BMS is committed to building on our record of diversity and inclusion, at every level of our organization.  That includes making sure that the BMS Board of Trustees and the school’s senior staff reflect the rich demographic diversity of the BMS community – including race, gender, and LGBTQ identification.  But just as important, it means making sure that the different voices and perspectives of all stakeholders are reflected in our decision making and our organizational DNA, for this is the only way to maintain a highly talented and diverse group.

This is the right thing to do, and it is the strategic thing to do.  First, it builds a culture of respect and collegiality, in turn making us more efficient and effective in our work.  Second, it aligns our organizational culture with the inclusion and diversity standards increasingly required by our funding partners in government and the private sector.  To achieve our ambitious plans as a community organization, we will need their support more than ever.  

To that end, on November 4, 2019, the BMS Board of Trustees unanimously committed to reaching a target of achieving at least 40% diversity among trustees by 2024.  

To achieve this goal, the Board also created a diversity committee to track our progress and to lead efforts to align our organization with best practices to increase diversity and inclusion.

BMS believes music and the performing arts are everyone’s birthright — and we are working every day to help more New Yorkers realize that right.