Inclusion, Diversity, and Community

The Inclusion & Diversity Community is comprised of sub-committees that specialize in areas such as Race Relations, Wellness, BGLTQ, Safety & Accessibility, Student athletes, and HoCo to name a few. IDC duties include helping students with individual incidents and also aiding those hoping to foster a community that values cultural humility and promotes understanding of issues related to inclusion and diversity. At Lev, IDC tutors are sensitive to issues related to identity and safety and are available to all students. 

 

As IDC coordinator, my role includes responding to outreach efforts by connecting students with the right sub-committee tutor(s) and passing on requests for programming. I can suggest preventative strategies to students and communicate concerns to the Faculty Deans and/or Resident Dean in order to provide support from the House and the College where necessary. I've partnered with the Diversity Peer Educators, CARE, and SHARC students to help facilitate their efforts and would love to hear from anyone interested in topics related to diversity, community, and safety. Reach out to me if you want to ask questions or discuss events and issues or if you just want to share snacks and meals. 

 

Resources for Allyship and Self-Care

 

Hello Leverett, on the House website we wanted to provide resources for addressing racism through allyship and resources for self-care.

 

Below are these resources. Please contact us if there are any additional suggestions or questions.

 

Franckie Castro-Ramirez, and Chris Cleveland

Leverett House Inclusion, Diversity, and Community Tutor Committee Members

leverettidc@gmail.com

 

 

Resources for Allies

 

As a community, it is critical that we stand for racial justice. Particularly in this moment, non-Black members must support our Black peers. Maybe you do not know how, or where to start. Here is a list of Harvard Resources to help you learn more:

 

  1. Harvard University Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Initiative
  2. Examining Whiteness: An Anti-Racism Curriculum (Harvard Graduate School of Education)
  3. Fighting Anti-Blackness Resource List (Harvard Women in Tech + Allies)
  4. Initiative for Institutional Anti-racism and Accountability (Harvard Kennedy School of Government)
     

Resources for Self-Care

 

Bodies process racism as trauma, affecting both physical and mental health. With this in mind, please consider the following American Psychological Association recommended strategies for coping with racial trauma and practicing self-care:

 

  1. Use a social-support network to connect with others who share your experience.
    1. Black Emotional and Mental Health (BEAM): non-profit organization whose mission is to remove barriers Black people experience in getting mental health care. Their website features resources for finding a therapist and various other tools of support.
    2. 7 cups mental health peer support: a forum where young people of color can talk about their experiences, find resources, and get help finding a therapist.
  2. Consume cultural foods, art, music, books, and other traditions
    1. Enjoy Afropunk art
    2. Listen to Spotify playlists like Black Joy & Black Power
    3. Enjoy good food from Black-owned restaurants (this list is a compilation of lists of Black-owned restaurants organized by city)
    4. Read poems
  3. Exercise
    1. Exercise can clear your mind and releases endorphins.
    2. There is a plethora of online resources for home workouts, and here are a few:
      1. Yoga, Black and Brown Yoga
      2. Boxing and Kickboxing, PopSugar Fitness
      3. Dance and Cardio, 305 Fitness
      4. A bit of everything, YMCA 360
  4. Deep Breathing and Meditation
    1. The Breathing App (simple tool for guided breathing)
    2. Headspace (great student discount!)
    3. Liberate (newer, Black-owned meditation app that also includes meditations on microaggressions, internalized racism, and more)
  5. Limit time spent consuming social media
    1. So much of what is posted now can be triggering, and it is important to take a break.
    2. You can also turn off auto-play on videos on Twitter and Instagram to help limit seeing triggering content (you can also mute words on Twitter).
  6. Process Your Feelings
    1. It is more than okay to take a day (or several) off to sit with grief.
  7. Set Clear Boundaries
    1. You may be asked to process feelings about racism with well-meaning allies or your attention may even be coerced by aggressive trolls at this time.
    2. Give yourself permission to say no and ask for space and do so more often where possible. Try to protect your time, energy, and space.
    3. Remember that, “No.”, is a complete sentence. Look here for general suggestions on how to set boundaries.