The School of Music, Theater, and Dance at Ithaca College must implement programs and resources to support students of color and educate them on racism in the world of music, theater and dance. This responsibility should not fall to students of color and the lack of representation for BIPOC people in these industries is not an excuse for racism in the school. 

The BIPOC population in MTD is small and students of color have experienced everything from microaggressions and exclusion to overt racism and exposure to hate speech in their classes, performances and curriculum. Across the college, it is crucial to have major and school-specific centers and initiatives for BIPOC students. There is no “one-size-fits-all” resource that can help students aspiring to every career path and in each area, there are distinct experiences and barriers students may face. 

This is especially true in MTD; Broadway has historically represented white characters, actors, directors and audiences and excluded BIPOC people. In classical music, performers and conductors are overwhelmingly not Black and much of the genre is based in a white supremacist history and promotes racist figures. In ballet, BIPOC people have long been excluded and recently increased representation has looked more like tokenism than a true commitment to increasing diversity. These are the industries that BIPOC students in MTD are going into, and it is a microcosm of these industries that they are experiencing at Ithaca College. 

Students deserve dedicated diversity, equity and inclusion resources focused on not just DEI, but DEI in the music, theater and dance world. DEI resources and curriculum for all students should reflect and be specific to the industry. There have been some recent efforts toward this end in MTD, but more must be done. The college should responsibly integrate resources and programs that can support BIPOC students and take the burden of educating white peers off the shoulders of BIPOC students and faculty.