If you are a better-off White woman who would like to make a charitable contribution to The Art Institute of Chicago, the Institute will be more than happy to accept your donation. However, don’t even think of volunteering there.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, The Art Institute of Chicago “suspended” its volunteer museum guide and greeter (or “docent”) program—and let go of all of the volunteers in the program (over 80)—because, well, there were too many better-off white women in its ranks. The move is eerily similar to—nay, even worse than—the one recently undertaken by the English Touring Opera, which let go half of its orchestra because it was “too white.”
Veronica Stein, the leftist Executive Director of Learning and Engagement of The Art Institute of Chicago, in her email to the docents notifying them of their termination, said that the institute had to take a different path “that allows community members of all income levels to participate, responds to issues of class and income equity, and does not require financial flexibility.” But the institute still had a heart; it was offering all terminated docents a free two-year pass to the institute. The docents, by the way, were all unpaid and had served for an average of fifteen years.
Even the liberal editorial board of the Chicago said the institute’s action did not pass the smell test. “Why not invest some time in recruiting new, diverse docents? Why not grow the corps in such a way that it’s refreshed?” said the editorial board in an op-ed on September 27. “Why not help docents who need help with expenses or childcare? Why not have a hybrid model, at least until the current docents exit?” Here is a novel idea: Why not have the institute focus on recruiting the best, most motivated volunteers for the program independent of race or ethnicity? It is significant that no one accused the volunteers of doing an inadequate job or accused the institute of discriminating against minorities in accepting people into the docent program. Once again, Marxist-inspired identity politics and political correctness trump competence and character.
So if you are from the Chicago area and would like to visit The Art Institute of Chicago, get ready to shell out up to $25 a ticket. The institute will be happy to take your money, and any donations you could make, regardless of race, ethnicity, or sex.
However, if you happen to be white, female, and financially-secure, please ignore all the institute’s announcements and fliers asking for volunteers. The Institute doesn’t want that kind of person.