Equity & Diversity
Together we create one sound.
At TYSA, we welcome and embrace all in our pursuit of inclusion and efforts toward social justice. Our diversity makes us stronger as we share our common love of music and learning. We value all races, ethnicities, religious beliefs, gender identities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic backgrounds, and experiences. We believe each individual is a stakeholder in our collective success and enriches our TYSA family and the broader community we serve.
Equity in Action
At TYSA we are committed in our work to:
- Reduce barriers
- Increase access
- Seek out best practices
- Include diverse voices
- Nurture social and emotional awareness
- Expand knowledge and understanding
- Pursue partnerships
- Cultivate responsibility and accountability
- Provide financial support for program participation
Land Acknowledgment
The Tacoma Youth Symphony Association acknowledges that we are situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Coast Salish people, and in particular the traditional homelands of the Puyallup Tribe. The Puyallup people have lived on and stewarded these lands since the beginning of time, and continue to do so today. They live, work, raise their children, take care of their community, practice their traditional ways, and speak the Twulshootseed language – just as their ancestors did. In addition, we also want to acknowledge the lands of the Nisqually, Steilacoom, Squaxin, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, Stillaguamish, Stl’pulmsh, S’Klallam, Duwamish, Tulalip, Snoqualmie, and all traditional lands on which we live and work.
We recognize the people and communities that have cared for and lived on these lands since the beginning of time. We acknowledge their stewardship, their forced removal, and their continued fight to live on their ancestral lands. We commit to uplifting the voices, experiences, and histories of the Indigenous people of this land and beyond.