Presenters: Aryn Jackson, Breanne Tscheng and Justin Oliver
About: As if the fatigue of working virtually during a pandemic wasn’t enough, the demand for many BIPOC staff is compounded by the everyday work of fighting against systemic racism and oppression. Given the nature of the current climate and events there’s a new sense of urgency across many departments to address issues of racial diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and often as BIPOC staff we feel a moral obligation to take on this work even at the expense of our own physical, mental, and emotional health.
So how do we move the needle on toward social justice without dismantling ourselves? During this session we will discuss our journey establishing our department’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Awareness, & Action committee (IDEAA) including the lessons learned about how to manage battle fatigue and bureaucracy.
We hope this session serves as a brave space for BIPOC staff to be in community and share strategies for managing burnout. In addition, we hope that our non-BIPOC staff will learn how they can serve as allies to not only help support their fellow colleagues but to hold departments accountable for the espoused DEIB values we aspire to embody.