TESTIMONY
Melody Capote, Executive Director of the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, on Inequities in City Funding for Arts and Cultural Organizations Serving Communities of Color
4:36:02
·
4 min
Capote criticizes the outdated criteria used to allocate city funding for arts and culture, which disproportionately benefits large institutions over community-based organizations led by and serving communities of color.
- 85% of the budget goes to 34 organizations based on property ownership dating back over 100 years when communities of color had no access.
- The remaining organizations rooted in communities of color compete for only 15% of the funding.
- Capote calls for a $76 million restoration and increase to support organizations in communities of color where the need is greatest.
- She highlights the inequity in fundraising ability between large institutions with wealthy boards and small/mid-sized organizations.
- Capote argues arts and culture are essential, not supplementary, calling it '1st aid' for society.
Melody Capote
4:36:02
Good afternoon, chairperson Fivera, chairperson Brannen, and council member brewer.
4:36:08
My name is Melody Capole, executive director of the Caribbean Center African Diaspora Institute.
4:36:14
I'd like to begin by congratulating you, council member Rivera, and the birth of your new baby, and for your work.
4:36:21
As a mommy and the wife, and for being here today in support of the arts and cultural community to do that other job.
4:36:29
Here at city council.
4:36:31
Talk about a woman's work and a woman's worth.
4:36:34
I salute you.
4:36:36
I am here to testify about the growth in equity between funding that is awarded to community based organizations through the DCLA Cultural Development Fund, known as CDF, and such organizations that are led by and focused within communities of color.
4:36:53
I have read time and again, DCLA's cultural development fund reform and find myself angry that decade after decade we are confronted with the same desire to reform but a complete inability to do it.
4:37:08
Reforms and the proposed overhauling of the DCLA agency requires funding and a true commitment to doing so.
4:37:18
1 would think that the issues are so complex that it has required decades of study.
4:37:22
It has not.
4:37:24
The bottom line is that 85% of the budget for operations and programming activities goes to 34 organizations whose right to that money is based on ownership of property designated over 100 years ago when communities of African descendants had no access to be in a similar position.
4:37:43
Let alone try to be competitive.
4:37:46
The remaining organizations Most of which are rooted in communities of color, are forced to compete with each other for the remaining 15%.
4:37:55
Explain to me, if you will, how a city like New York in the year 2024 can continue to allocate tax levy funds for arts and culture based upon a hundred year old property value.
4:38:08
Someone, please make it make sense.
4:38:12
In a time where this city's administration and city council is the most representative of people of color, it is sad to state that our cultural organizations are none the better today.
4:38:23
Consider this, baseline funding to DCLA has not seen an increase since 2008.
4:38:31
2008.
4:38:33
The time is now or as I say to my staff, it's now a clock.
4:38:38
To restore and increase DCLA funding, and we thank you for having just recently learned of the $76,000,000 in full restoration to repair the significant damage that has happened to the CDF and CIG partners.
4:38:56
It is no small wonder that the arguments made for increasing funding for arts and culture rely so heavily upon tourism.
4:39:03
The tourism argument by the administration is that the major cultural institutions are economic drivers for the city and yet while the CDF organizations don't reap those same benefits, We find that even CIGs I'm sorry.
4:39:17
We find that even the CIGs credited with generating those tourism dollars that increase year after year aren't seeing the impact in their budgets either.
4:39:28
The city is not investing those very dollars into the very agency and organizations from which these dollars are generated.
4:39:36
In closing, I support a call for restoration and increases in the amount of $76,000,000 that our arts and cultural organizations rightfully deserve.
4:39:46
And particularly those working directly in communities of color because that is where the need is greatest.
4:39:52
And I urge you to look at inequity look at the difference in the ability of large institutions to raise from their boards and endowments when small and midsized organizations simply do not have the same access.
4:40:06
Art and culture is not a band aid.
4:40:09
It is 1st aid.
4:40:11
Thank you.
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Kate Madigan, Government Affairs Coordinator for the Public Theater, on the Financial Challenges Facing Cultural Institutions and the Need for Increased City Support
