Tucson Desert Harmony (TDH) chorus is dedicated to the vision of all sisters as equals united in song. Recent events have brought to the forefront that the reality of true equality is not yet equal to the dream. There is no place for racism in our society and in our chorus.
As a member of Sweet Adelines International (SAI) we are aware that the history of the organization does not have a clean record including the exclusion of women of color in the early days of SAI. Even though Barbershop music has its roots in African American culture, we have not always been sensitive to songs with racist histories. Steps are now being taken by SAI to promote diversity and inclusion. These steps include:
- Elimination of songs with racist lyrics, messages, or history from competition.
- Establishing education and resources for members on how to determine the above items in our music and creating a database of music that qualifies for elimination
- Creation of a Confidential email for any member to provide feedback on songs with racist connotations
- Creation of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council to foster ongoing efforts in these areas
Tucson Desert Harmony is committed to taking our own actions to foster true equality in our chorus.
- Elimination of all songs from our repertoire that have racist connotations
- Ongoing education on Diversity and Inclusion for our members
- Creating an atmosphere of equality and acceptance in our chorus with the goal of increasing the diversity of our membership
Our vision is of a chorus united in the love of music and equality performing as a joyous gift for everyone who listens.
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