For more resources on creating inclusive learning environments and facilitating difficult conversations, check out the Campus Read and DRIVE guides.
UMass Chan Medical School is committed to promoting antiracism within our community to create just and equitable learning, work, and healthcare environments. Inspired by Diversity Scholar Dr. Eddie Moore Jr.'s 21-Day Challenge, the Diversity and Inclusion Office has created a 31-day Antiracism Challenge for the month of May to deepen our collective understanding of race, power, privilege, supremacy, and oppression.
Our challenge invites participants to complete a series of 31 short assignments, including readings, videos, podcasts, and intentional days of rest to explore the history of racism in the United States and how we can develop antiracist practices to confront the structural and behavioral norms that perpetuate racism within our institution and nation. While we broadly address racism in its many different forms, the focus of this challenge is on anti-Blackness and the experience of Black people in America, a pervasive issue that intersects with many different forms of oppression.
We acknowledge that centering our challenge on Black Americans does not fully capture the diverse experiences and opinions within the Black community nor for learnings at the intersections of socialized identities and environment. Our hope for this challenge is to invite and inspire everyone to engage in ongoing conversations around antiracism in ways that feel meaningful and authentic to our community here at UMass Chan.”
As a healthcare institution, we understand that antiracism is not only a moral imperative but also a public health issue. We are committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in our institution and beyond, and this challenge is one of many steps we are taking towards creating a more equitable future where all feel they belong.
Diversity is a key pillar of UMass Chan's strategic plan to improve educational and clinical outcomes for learners and patients, and to build capacity towards greater equity as an academic medical research center and hub for the diverse communities that call our region home. This Anti-Racist Challenge was developed to encourage learning and professional development in these important topics. Throughout this guide you will be encouraged to Read, Watch, Listen and Engage actively with the content presented.
Each week's content addresses a particular theme, addressing foundational history and frameworks for understanding then turning towards learning ways participants can take a more active role in anti-racist work. Each day features a selection of recommended activities and probing questions to Read, Watch, Listen and Engage with. We encourage you to leave your thoughts, impressions, or comments on the Padlet community space.
This is a self-directed challenge; participants’ knowledge and skill building will depend upon the level of investment they are able to make through participation with the provided materials. We recognize that each of us has variable bandwidth. We encourage participants to return to these materials as a reference and resource beyond their participation in the challenge itself. We also invite participants to join us for the challenge more than once. Each time you go through the materials you will bring a new perspective and new personal experiences and will have a new learning experience as a result.
The content of this guide was informed by the excellent work already pioneered at peer institutions and ForHealth
This work was created and curated by Lamar Soutter Library staff librarian, Melissa Augustine, MLIS, and published on the LibGuides platform. It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC-BY-NC 4.0).
As a private individual, you are free to copy, share, remix, and build on these works as long as you use them in accordance with the terms of this license. When using these works, you must provide attribution and not use them for commercial gain, among other terms and conditions.
Works excluded from this license include but are not necessarily limited to the following:
