Statement of Solidarity

Our solidarity and inclusivity statement is designed to more explicitly outline our commitment to anti-racism and equity as we continue to learn and grow in our personal and professional journey. We stand in solidarity with the BLM movement and all movements that work to end the dehumanization of BIPOC communities across the globe.

Group Commitments

In creating these reflective events, we seek to build spaces for women of different backgrounds to come together to breathe, reflect, and build community with one another. In this commitment, we seek to create a space built on mutual respect, listening for understanding, self-compassion, and trust. We do not tolerate language or behavior that intentionally causes harm to another member of our community. Regardless of intent, we hold all members accountable for the impact of their words and actions and expect disagreements and harms to be acknowledged and remedied as appropriate.

We name our commitment to centering racial justice in our work. 

We acknowledge the reality of the racism and white supremacy embedded in every aspect of the current healthcare system. We also recognize that healthcare traditionally has been and still remains a space where BIPOC communities suffer racism and harm from colleagues, patients, supervisors, and larger systems. Thus, we are committed to centering racial justice in everything we do.

We name our commitment to rest and reflection

As Tricia Hersey of the Nap Ministry teaches us, rest and reflection have, for centuries, been denied to people of color because their bodies were primarily viewed as tools for production. As a result, we acknowledge that rest and reflection have been and are activities of the privileged and the oppressors. We are in agreement with Hersey’s prophetic witness that rest and reflection is not only a spiritual practice but a racial justice and social justice practice as well. Without rest and reflection, there can be no revolution or transformation. Please use the link above to learn more about Hersey’s work.

We name our commitment to transformation and liberation

The love ethic for transformation and liberation that much of our work is grounded in comes to us by way of Black theologians and scholars. We acknowledge their outsized influence in giving us a vision for liberation from white supremacy and capitalism. Thus, we commit to centering Black voices in our continued work to provide space for deep reflection, connection, and ultimately MLK’s vision of the “beloved community.” 

We name our commitment to accountability 

As the people who are creating this space, we recognize our privilege and the ways we have benefited from the structures of systemic racism in our country. We feel it is our particular responsibility to be part of the solution. We commit to continued learning and deep work on our own anti-racist journeys and we welcome all feedback and accountability to Black and other communities of color.

We name our commitment to inclusivity

We acknowledge that the healthcare system was created for, and defined by, the white male experience.  Healthcare has traditionally marginalized individuals who do not identify as white and male, with non-cisgender persons, particularly people of color, facing the worst consequences of that otherization.

We name our commitment to creating inclusive spaces and to call out heteronormativity and cisnormativity in medicine. Our event is open to anyone who self-identifies as a member of this group, including transwomen, two-spirit individuals, non-binary persons, genderqueer persons and all marginalized gender identities as well as cis-women. We also name that medicine is a space that is ableist and is unwelcoming to those who have disabilities. We commit to doing our best to make accommodations to ensure our event is accessible to all interested participants. We are looking forward to working with our community to continue to adapt our space and appreciate your feedback!

We name our commitment to learning

We are continuing to learn in our personal and professional journeys towards anti-racism and equity and welcome collaboration from our community. In particular, we’d love to continue to build our commitments together. Please share with us any commitments you are working on or commitments that you’d like to see added to our space as we continue to learn, reflect, and grow together.

We welcome all feedback that holds us accountable in increasing our language and work to be more gender-inclusive and racially just.  Please email us at introspectivespaces@gmail.com for feedback or any questions/concerns.