JEDI
(Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion)
Main Street Theater believes equity, inclusion, and diversity initiatives are central to ensuring all artists have equitable opportunity to theatrical work in Houston while helping audiences to engage more deeply with the wide range of stories and ideas presented on our stages. We encourage the participation of all Houstonians in the work we create. We want our work to reflect the communities we serve. We want to accommodate artists and audience members of different abilities throughout our company, and we want there to be no physical, financial, or emotional barriers to our stages.
We work to accomplish this by fostering an atmosphere of compassion and inclusiveness. We will create and maintain opportunities for engagement and discourse. We will actively examine our systems to identify barriers and seek ways to remove them. The work on our stages must reflect the community in which we exist and respect the dignity of all its members, and our work with children must be infused with these values.
JEDI Council:
Main Street Theater’s JEDI Council consists of a group of four community professionals not connected with MST who meet monthly with our Executive Artistic Director and Theater for Youth Artistic Director to advise and assess both situations that may arise with personnel and guide us toward implementing better practices.
Brandon Mack (he/him) is an activist, organizer, angelic troublemaker, and entrepreneur. He is the founder/owner of B.Mack Strategies, LLC, a consulting company that provides education and training related to Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity., college admission consulting, political consulting, dialogue and meeting facilitation services, and public speaking services. Mack has worked on EID issues in higher education, the arts, and government for over 15 years. He is a recognized activist and community advocate focusing on issues related to Education, Racial Justice, and LGBTQ+ issues. Mack holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Rice University, a Master’s in Higher Education Administration & Supervision from the University of Houston, and is currently working on a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership & Policy studies from the University of Houston. His research focuses on student support services for LGBTQ+ students at Historically Black Colleges & Universities.
Consuella Harrison, SHRM-CP
Steps we are taking to create an equitable theater:
- Members of our Executive Management and Senior Staff have received training through Art Equity and continue to belong to accountability cohorts.
- Main Street Theater’s Theater for Youth made an institutional commitment to be an Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppressive organization through TYA / USA .
- In August 2021, we launched our diversity panel which engages members of our organization and marginalized individuals in the community.
- In February 2022, we launched our JEDI Artist Fellowship Program.
- In August 2023, we created and hired our first JEDI Council, a group of four community professionals not connected with Main Street Theater, who meet monthly with our Executive Artistic Director and Theater for Youth Artistic Director to advise and assess both situations that may arise with personnel and guide us toward implementing better practices.
We know there is much more to be done. We continue to work hard at making Main Street Theater an equitable place for all.