Throughout the month of March, I took some days off from my primary job to do some consulting in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility for three different companies/orgs. It was invigorating work crossing time zones, cultures, and communities.
Like most consultants, I spend a great deal of time preparing for each experience I cultivate. I research my audience, ensuring that I know who will be in the room and work to anticipate the best environment to stimulate their ability to absorb, process, contextualize, and internalize the information. I go over my materials and the expectations of the contract and add any new research or perspectives that make the work relevant and grounded in the moment, while heavily emphasizing the historical manufacturing of oppression has shaped us. I read the work of other practitioners and learn any new approaches that may influence the success of workshop attendees. I also spend time preparing my heart and mind.
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People Of Color) educators, facilitators, workshop leaders, and other practitioners who engage in this work must do the internal work to preserve our mental health, daily. Exposing the underbelly of our humanity has a cost. To daily be confronted with the facts of a system created to stymie the lives of people who look like you means to engage in racial battle fatigue and racial trauma regularly.
Personally, I lean into my faith, I invest in my mental health with an incredible therapist, and I spend time practicing presence with the people and activities that fuel me to ensure that I am effective while speaking truth to power.
According to the Center for Disease Control data in 2014, life expectancy for white Americans was higher than Blacks, Hispanics, and Indigenous Americans,
Native Americans: 75.06 years
African Americans: 75.54 years
White Americans: 79.12 years
Hispanic Americans: 82.89 years
These numbers have not changed much over the years. Disparities in health care, the wealth gap, and many more factors are well documented.
According to the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, COVID-19 has affected these numbers even more:
“Estimated reductions for the Black and Latino populations are 3 to 4 times that for Whites. Consequently, COVID-19 is expected to reverse over 10 y of progress made in closing the Black−White gap in life expectancy and reduce the previous Latino mortality advantage by over 70%. Some reduction in life expectancy may persist beyond 2020 because of continued COVID-19 mortality and long-term health, social, and economic impacts of the pandemic.”
The next time you you ask someone to speak on these issues for free, please remember that though you don't want it to cost you, it costs us greatly.