Issues of race in the workplace have challenged corporate America since corporate America existed. The media amplifies the court battles widely. Corporations are often tarred with a greedy brush and commitment to human values goes unreported. Museums, on the other hand, can claim some leadership in the area of racial parity, in part because of our official position on encouraging and nurturing staff and board diversity-Excellence and Equity, AAM, 1989.

Corporations report:

• 15% of boards are Asian, Black, or Hispanic
• 17% of managers are Asian, Black, or Hispanic
• 30% of the workforce is Asian, Black, or Hispanic

More important than absolute numbers is the rate of change which can occur when management takes the mandate to change seriously.

In 1993 Denny's Restaurant was sued by several FBI agents for discrimination in their customer-serving practices. At the time, only one of Denny's franchises was minority owned. African Americans were steered away from all good jobs. In 1994, Denny paid $54.4 million to settle two class action suits brought by black customers claiming that some restaurants refused to seat or serve them. Four years later, 35 percent of Denny's Restaurants were minority owned. One African American-the second largest franchiseeowned 83 Denny's. Denny's is the second most diversified of large corporations with a 46 percent minority workforce, and 30 percent minority representation in managerial positions. Denny's extended its commitment to diversity by seeking new relationships with minority-owned vendors and suppliers, leading to an eighteen-fold increase in supplies through minority vendors.

When questioned now, employees who sued Denny's report they believe that the company has had a change of heart. Some might say that Denny's is a foxhole conversion, but agonizing over motivations seems irrelevant to us when results count so. Fortune Magazine (8/3/98) which reported these statistics concluded that quick, decisive, sincere action made the difference.