Women Band Directors International stands in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and adamantly opposes racism of any kind. As an organization, we stand with all women in our band community and are actively making organizational changes to foster true equity within our community. The recent tragic events, including the death of George Floyd, are both a painful flashpoint and explosive catalyst for conversations and change.
The executive board is taking immediate action to help promote these conversations and changes by establishing a committee on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This committee will comprise a diverse representation of WBDI members and will be charged to identify and provide feedback to the board on those elements that hinder us from being a truly inclusive and diverse organization. Based upon the feedback and recommendations, we will work together as a board and an organization to improve our service to, and support of all women of color, both current members and future women band directors who still do not see their identity reflected in who they see on the podium. We will identify ways to better support directors of band programs in underserved communities and we will actively identify and engage underrepresented composers. Together, we can make WBDI an organization that continually evolves to meet the needs of all its members.