Self-awareness. Authentic conversations. Personal growth. These are a few of the many benefits CHAT Room Series attendees have shared about the past two installments of the monthly gatherings, sponsored by the Office of Diversity and inclusion.
“Our Racial Equity Plan charts our five-year path to becoming an anti-racist organization, and it’s the people of the VUMC community that breathe life into it,” said Kristy Sinkfield, associate vice president for Diversity and Inclusion. “Making the plan a reality requires us all to show up for learning opportunities like the CHAT Room Series. It asks us to reach outside of our comfort zones so that we can grow.”
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s web site has a variety of resources available. The CHAT Room Session last week, specifically highlighted the Anti-Racism Hub. There, members of the VUMC community can take their own self-guided tour of materials.
Many who visit the site start with the anti-racism resource guide, an essential tool kit for personal growth. The guide includes resources about how to talk about race, relevant articles, and even a curated list of books, films, and podcasts to help people delve deeper into the roots of injustice. The team has also put together a living Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Toolkit that is a downloadable PDF filled with resources that cover a variety of DEI topics, including a extensive glossary of terms to make yourself familiar with.
“What we focus our minds on is how we shape our workplace and our world. That’s why I encourage everyone at VUMC to pick one anti-racism activity, just one, to commit to this month,” said Sinkfield. “Check out the web site, read a glossary of terms, get a book from the library, read an article and discuss it with your colleagues or your own family, sign up for the next CHAT Room session in November, as few examples. Can you imagine how the power of that new knowledge will propel us forward?”
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion encourages everyone to share feedback about activities you are doing in your work environment or on a personal basis to advance VUMC to becoming an anti-racist organization at dei@vumc.org
Sign up for the next installment of the CHAT Room Series Nov. 16 at 7 a.m. or noon. These monthly gatherings always occur at those times on the third Wednesday of the month.
