Don’t just talk about it, own it: Creating your DEI statement

At every intersection of our personal and professional lives, we face inescapable labels created and imposed on us by society. Whether we identify with these labels, many struggle with the pressures associated with arbitrary checkboxes. Stereotypes, bias, and discrimination experienced by select communities such as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC); immigrants; LGBTQIA+; people with disabilities; and religious/spiritual groups, among others, can result in devastating struggles. Some of these struggles are undoubtedly visible. Others are subtle, yet evident through microaggressions and implicit biases (Yarber & Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College, 2021), which create unnecessary exclusionary practices. When bias and discrimination make some of us feel rejected, isolated, or abjectly terrified, how do we safely navigate daily activities or be productive members of society?