Antiracism Learning Day 2021

The UW School of Nursing recently held an Antiracism Learning Day for faculty, staff, students, and practice partners from the three campuses to reflect on and discuss racism in today’s society and healthcare settings. The all-day event on March 29, 2021 featured speakers Dr. Benjamin Danielson, clinical professor of pediatrics with the UW School of Medicine and formerly of Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, and Loretta Ross, a nationally-recognized expert on racism and racial justice, women’s rights, and human rights. The schedule also included caucus presentations and sessions based on participant’s racial identity.

“It’s been said that attention is the currency of leadership. That the School of Nursing is willing to set aside time, attention, and resources to reflect on and bring awareness to anti-racism validates priorities of the School in leading this effort,” said PhD nursing student Janelle Martelino. “The time and space to reflect on our own values, condition, bias and privilege was a gift for all participants.”

The event, the first of its kind to be held at the school, drew more than 400 participants and is part of a current organizational antiracism effort and rooted in a broader DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) strategic action plan launched by the UW School of Nursing in 2016.

“The UW School of Nursing and the nursing profession can play a leading role in not just dismantling institutional racism but contributing to reforms within health organizations with antiracism as a core motivation and principle,” said Butch de Castro, the school’s Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion.

In addition to the all-school antiracism learning day, several other initiatives have been completed or are underway.  In early 2021, the UW School of Nursing launched the Center for Antiracism in Nursing and a number of antiracism workgroups have been actively working on multiple fronts.

Learn more about the UW School of Nursing’s commitment to DEI here.

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For more information, contact Shari Ireton (slireton@uw.edu).