Newfields meltdown comes amid widespread DEI retreat

By JAMES BRIDGES Newfields’ meltdown is pushing into a second month, with no end in sight, as the controversy transcends a single personnel move at one organization. Why it matters:& Former CEO Colette Pierce Burnette’s departure comes as historically white institutions are retreating from programs aimed at racial inclusion just a few years after those efforts peaked following social justice protests in 2020. The big picture:& Diversity programs are& being cut& in business, pummeled by Republicans in politics and ridiculed in academia, where donors have pulled millions,& Axios’ Erica Pandey writes. Zoom in:& Against that backdrop, Burnette’s unexplained exit has left Indianapolis’ Black leaders — and the& arts community more broadly& — filling in gaps with rumors and sparse public statements from board members. Many assume Newfields will revert to catering to a “traditional, core, white art audience,” as& one infamous job posting& put it. Between the lines:& Newfields made inroads with people of color through new programming, partnerships and& a community council& during the 15 months Burnette, a Black woman, held the CEO job. That progress has halted, replaced with& protests along 38th Street. The intrigue:& Neither Newfields nor Burnette has said whether she left voluntarily, fueling speculation the...