Thread by @latimes

There’s something you should know about the Huntington Library’s history.

The 102-year-old institution finds itself at a crossroads — grappling with society’s reckoning over wealth inequality after benefiting from it for generations.

latimes.com/entertainment-…

For the unfamiliar, the SoCal landmark boasts nearly 50,000 members, many of whom make regular visits to see the world-class collection of paintings, sculptures, rare books and more.

latimes.com/lifestyle/stor…

While the Huntington’s diversity numbers look decent today — nearly half of the 457 staffers identify as BIPOC — if you take out the facilities workers, the picture gets whiter.

latimes.com/entertainment-…

It’s probably safe to say that senior management at the institution has remained 100% white for more than a century (it’s impossible to verify with complete certainty, with more than a century of institutional history)

📸: @MelMelconPhoto

latimes.com/entertainment-…

Under its founder➡️white workers, many of whom lived on-site, were paid one wage. Mexican laborers, who lived elsewhere, received less

Today➡️Vast gap exists between highest & lowest paid staffers. Salaries for senior management team run upwards of $400K
latimes.com/entertainment-…

It has slowly begun to reckon with its past — like acknowledging its founder’s troubled labor history in a 100th anniversary show. But there's still work to do.

It was only in January that the senior leadership team added its first Black member: Misty Bennett

Can the SoCal landmark reckon with its past inequity and create lasting institutional change?

@cmonstah explains: latimes.com/entertainment-…

The Times’ @cmonstah recently explored how other art institutions may challenge institutional racism in America

https://twitter.com/cmonstah/status/1319391112415432704?s=20