Diversity and Inclusion in Service to Equity: Self-Care and Resiliency

Diversity and inclusion is in service to equity. This presentaiton will highlight the importance of self-care in diversity and inclusion work. This concept is critical because of the prevailing mindsets of oppression that have resulted in colonization and racism of indigenous and peoples of color. The ability to listen to our inner voice, and build resilience and not endurance is a must. Self-care is a form of joy, liberation, love, and resistance. Representing our authentic selves because we cherish our uniqueness with a focus on our living, and not only surviving, is vital to the human race.

Session Takeaways

1. Recognize our societal structures are rooted historically in oppressive structures, and doing the work to dismantle these systems cannot only be exhausting, but traumatic as well.
2. Recognize the need to learn to center our self-care in our wholeness of being to successfully bring our authentic selves to the work.
3. Realize that we are humans in the work and cannot give what we do not have, and make intentional choices to prioritize self-care.

Facts Related To This Presentation

There is still more work to do move D and I work in service to equity. Recent article by McKinsey and Company, reports high rates of unemployment for women in the US in 2020. Additionally, 53% of the adult Black population was employed, compared with 5% of the White populations. Poor health outcomes due to inequities in our social structures include US adults who are Hispanic persons reporting a higher prevalence of psychosocial stress related to not having enough food or stable housing.