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EEO: One Voice (One Voice for One Union)

Sunday, January 17, 2010, quietly marked an astounding milestone for Actors' Equity Association. The suggestion by some that the issues that surround the Equal Employment Opportunities Committee (EEO) are not important to Actors' Equity Association was laid to rest. The EEO Committee Chairs (Christine Toy Johnson, Julia Bernetta Simpson, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, E. Faye Butler and Barbara Roberts) from all three regions, and all EEO staff members, traveled to the Chicago office for the first National EEO Summit. Central Region Business Representative Luther Goins, has been selected as the National EEO Coordinator. The EEO Summit was conceived to give a national perspective to the issues that face the union.

The Summit agenda included open, honest, and frank discussions about the many concerns that follow our Members of Color (which include African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans, Native Americans), women, seniors, and performers with disabilities.

EEO: One Voice, a new brand agreed upon at the Summit, quickly and easily states the mission of Equity's EEO Committees and the ongoing work that needs to be done. Being unified nationally can only give Equity a stronger and more powerful presence in the performing arts industry and will allow for more meaningful change when it comes to diversity.

Front row, l-r: Business Rep Michael van Duzer, Eastern EEO Co-Chair Julia Breanetta Simpson, EEO Co-Chair Christine Toy Johnson, Central Regional Director Kathryn V. Lamkey, Central EEO Chair E Faye Butler

Back row, l-r: Business Rep Pearl Brady, Western EEO Chair Barbara Roberts, Central EEO Chair Cheryl Lynn Bruce, National EEO Coordinator Luther Goins