Advancing Racial Equity with the Aquarium Conservation Partnership

Historic and present-day systemic racism frequently excludes Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) from engaging in aquarium efforts toward conservation, research, advocacy, and education. But to realize the conservation missions of aquariums--creating a more equitable and sustainable world in which people and nature thrive--we need a diversity of perspectives and voices driving adaptive, lasting solutions. In this article, the co-authors describe how a diverse coalition of U.S. aquariums is working to integrate racial justice with their conservation initiatives and to transform their sector. They outline the formation of the Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP) Equity Work Group, progress toward an ACP Equity Commitment, and the restructuring of ACP governance. They describe how these efforts, like equity work across the broader cultural attractions sector, have been imperfect and uncertain; but they yield lessons that may provide reassurance, encouragement, and guidance to similar coalitions committed to racial equity.