Cultural Responsibility

 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Michael C. Carlos Museum recognizes the power and privilege inherent in the foundation and development of all museums and is committed to making tangible progress toward its goals related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In order to facilitate ongoing conversation and develop impactful action steps, the museum has established a DEI committee composed of museum staff, board, and volunteer representatives. 

To work toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Carlos Museum, the internal DEI committee seeks to understand better the needs of the museum staff, board, visitors, and volunteers as well as the larger university community; to establish new internal protocols and objectives to identify areas for improvement; to address systems and practices that consciously or unconsciously perpetuate prejudice, privilege, or injustice; and to facilitate greater engagement with Emory and the wider Atlanta community and its diverse population.

The DEI Committee welcomes ongoing dialogue and feedback and can be reached at carlosmuseuminfo@emory.edu.

For more information about Emory University’s work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, visit the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI). 

For more on Emory University’s work on initiatives for greater visibility, inclusion, and social justice in regard to the university’s history, see the President’s Task Force on Untold Histories and Disenfranchised Populations.


Ancient Egyptian Mummies in the Carlos Museum 

The Carlos Museum holds ancient Egyptian mummies. Ancient Egyptians believed mummification transformed a corpse into an eternal, perfect body, and the Carlos Museum is committed to the respectful curation of these mummies. For visitors who prefer not to be in the presence of wrapped mummies, signage identifies their locations in the galleries.

 

Land Acknowledgement

The Michael C. Carlos Museum recognizes its place in the Emory University campus community and shares in the acknowledgment of the history of the land on which it is located.

Emory University acknowledges the Muscogee (Creek) people who lived, worked, produced knowledge on, and nurtured the land where Emory’s Oxford and Atlanta campuses are now located. In 1821, fifteen years before Emory’s founding, the Muscogee were forced to relinquish this land. We recognize the sustained oppression, land dispossession, and involuntary removals of the Muscogee and Cherokee peoples from Georgia and the Southeast. Emory seeks to honor the Muscogee Nation and other Indigenous caretakers of this land by humbly seeking knowledge of their histories and committing to respectful stewardship of the land. 

For more information on Emory University's Land Acknowledgement Statement, click here.