In some ways, we’ve been here before. Maybe it wasn’t as fascist, but it was just as chaotic. In 2020, when COVID-19 precaution measures shuttered the doors of museums and galleries around the world, institutions were forced to consider: How do we keep our businesses afloat without being able to provide physical access to exhibitions and collections? Then, as now, chaos presented an unprecedented opportunity for institutions to get clear about their purpose and the people who matter to them.Back then, the question was suddenly, “What should we do if no one can come to the museum?” — even though, long before COVID-19, not everyone could. As we know, predominantly White museum leadership reflected predominantly White audiences for decades. But when the visitors whom art institutions historically valued the most couldn’t step through their doors, almost overnight, notions of “access” became the new art-world darling. For those who already felt excluded from art spaces, and for those who had been doing the work to reduce barriers to entry, this suddenly urgent focus on barriers to entry was eyeroll-worthy — mostly because we know that merely addressing inaccessibility isn’t a quick fix. Disability justice seemed adjacent to conversations of “accessibility,” and people of color with disabilities, who are often sidelined in that conversation, continued to be impacted disproportionately.Ask five DEIA consultants to define “access” and you’ll get five different answers. These conversations about how accessibility, or lack thereof, impacts audience reach, programming, and more are worthwhile. But ultimately, in the most stripped-down Webster’s dictionary sense, access in the art world is about providing all people with the opportunity to experience art by removing systemic and institutional barriers. It’s also worth noting that the “A” in “DEIA” (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) has a fluid way of coming in and out of the conversation — even though, I think, the D, E, and, I have always fundamentally been about the A.Since the pandemic, doors have reopened and museum attendance worldwide is back to, or surpassing, pre-COVID figures. But the urgency of accessibility remains. According to a 2024 American Alliance of Museums report, museum-goers still don’t reflect the evolving US demographics. And as DEI efforts crumble and institutions scramble to figure out how to do the “right” thing, we appear to be in a new wave of pandemic-level chaos. This time, though, access has less to do with audiences and more to do with keeping doors open to the inclusive workforce who stand to take the organization to the next level.At the recruiting, human resources, and talent agency VERGE, my fellow Co-founder Julia V. Hendrickson and I are in constant and regular conversation with people from the global majority who are growing their careers in the art industry. We’ve gained insight not only into how to open the door to opportunities but also to build and maintain support on the other side of the door.In a recent poll of job-seekers in the VERGE community, we learned that job-seekers of color are looking for workplaces that prioritize diversity, equity, and respect for individuality. But we also learned that these considerations are generally less important than values of mutual respect and community. Overall, those who answered the survey are looking for jobs that foster a sense of passion and pride for projects — preferring workplaces that stay true to their values and are collaborative, transparent, supportive, flexible, and provide opportunities to grow.To be clear, a sustained focus on access — on keeping the doors open — does not mean that I condone the dismantling of the DEI efforts that seek to redress racial oppression. I know the value of these efforts firsthand, having earned a fellowship position at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art through the Office of Fellowships and Grants’ Minority Internship Program (a zillion years ago). As such, the recent closing of the Smithsonian’s Diversity Offices came with a special sting. That fellowship changed my career in the best way. It wasn’t called DEI back then, but the goal was the same. And for it, I’m grateful.But if DEI is dying, there’s no reason to stop moving toward the accessibility that has always been at the core of the effort. And if arts organizations want to keep the door open to talented folks who could change the landscape for the better — while upholding the importance of pay equity, raises, inclusion, and opportunity for career advancement — they should address these four institutional considerations:Be transparent about transparency: There is value in being candid about your organization’s values and purpose. Research has shown that a culture of transparency helps employees, and the organization, operate more efficiently. Get clear about the difference between transparency and privacy, and establish protocols for how, why, and when leadership will decide when to be transparent with employees about organizational goals, or pivots — and where do employees fit in? Transparency might be as simple as sharing an organization chart, or letting your team know that the board is revisiting a mission statement. Transparency is less about providing answers, and more about strengthening the team by ensuring they feel included.Re-visit your mission statement: Ask yourselves: Is everyone still on the same page? Aside from what it signals to the outside world, your institution’s internal mission statement stands to assemble everyone around a shared goal. This is what the team advances toward, together. Taking a hard look at where your organization stands, and what it stands for, can bring clarity about keeping the doors of your institution open to talented professionals from the global majority — no matter what you call the effort.Remember the benefits of being flexible: As employees’ lives are increasingly pulled in several directions, flexibility is increasingly key to their success — particularly for workers with disabilities, caregiving responsibilities, or barriers to transportation. This doesn’t mean anything goes, but it does mean considering policies that might meet employees halfway. For example, a 2024 report from researchers at Stanford University highlighted the ways in which hybrid work sets employees, and organizations, up for success. Could it be time to revisit your organization’s stance on “office time”?Get clear about the opportunities for career advancement: A 2024 report by Museums Moving Forward highlights the fact that “the path to promotion and seniority is long and uncertain, with an average tenure of 12 years in an institution before a promotion.” But might talented folks stay longer, reducing high turnover, if the path to promotion and advancement — including fair raises and salary increases — was clear? What does advancement at your organization look like? Spell it out: What is required to get a raise, or get promoted? Last month, a spokesperson for the Smithsonian told Hyperallergic, “We are closing our Office of Diversity but retaining our efforts at visitor accessibility as it serves a critical function.” But swap out “closing our Office of Diversity” with “closing our doors because of COVID-19,” and we recognize that access is indeed a long game. As such, I’m trusting that as the Smithsonian replaces language referring to DEIA with the words “welcoming and accessible,” the other letters are still implied.“In an ideal world, DEI was always striving towards obsolescence. We didn’t want the effort to be needed,” VERGE Co-founder Ola Mobolade told me in a recent phone call. As a recognized leader on the evolving global cultural landscape, the co-author of the ground-breaking book Marketing to the New Majority: Strategies for a Diverse World (2011), she is no stranger to the ways the ground beneath us has and will continue to shift. Together, we have spent countless hours unpacking what we’ve learned from the past, as we try to imagine what the future might hold and recognize that just as earlier iterations of similar efforts come to the end of their life cycle following backlash and political attacks — the Civil Rights Movement, the Equal Opportunity Act, Affirmative Action — it might only be a matter of time before the lid on this container is forced shut.That said, though the packaging is changing, the desire for change remains the same. Yes, maybe times are changing. But Ola recently reminded me of the 1960s Sheldon Allman song, “Crawl Out Through the Fallout.” Sixty-five years later, it might be an anthem for this time.