We are calling on the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston to reverse its decision to lay off Nadirah Mansour, Assistant Curator of Islamic Art, and of her colleagues Marina Tyquiengco (Native American Art), theo Tyson (fashion, they were the only Black curator at the MFA), Ronald Carrol (Teens), and Ruby Rosenwaser (Teens). 

Nadirah Mansour’s work has been essential to the MFA’s mission of education, inclusion, and cultural stewardship. Through her scholarship, programming, and deep community engagement (she has literally built a community here), she has expanded access to Islamic art with care, rigor, and lived knowledge. For many visitors, her presence made the museum a place where Muslim and BIPoC histories, practices, and communities were treated with dignity rather than as an afterthought.

As one of the very few practicing Muslims curating Islamic art at a major museum, Nadirah’s role carried significance far beyond a single position. Eliminating her role sends a troubling message about whose histories and communities are valued, particularly at a time when cultural institutions claim to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion.

This decision was not simply an internal staffing matter. It has real consequences for public trust, community relationships, and the integrity of the MFA’s Islamic art collection and programming. Visitors who participated in Nadirah’s tours, talks, and Ramadan programs know firsthand the impact of her work and what will be lost without it. We deserve better. Our children deserve better. 

We urge the MFA’s leadership and board to reconsider this decision and to reinstate Nadirah Mansour and her colleagues. Upholding the museum’s stated values requires more than words. It requires protecting the people whose labor makes those values visible and real.

By signing this petition, we ask the MFA to act with accountability, transparency, and respect for the communities it serves.