Dear College of Education Community,
A concept critical to all DEI and social justice work is the understanding of how Racial Battle Fatigue impacts wellbeing for those in our community who are experiencing racism. Dr. William A. Smith, Executive Administrator at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah, developed the concept of Racial Battle Fatigue, which is the cumulative emotional, psychological, physiological, and behavioral effects of everyday forms of racism. The CSUN University Student Union (USU) and University Counseling Services are offering an Essential Talks lecture series with the first presentation on the impact of Racial Battle Fatigue with Dr. Smith. This main presentation is Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m. in the Plaza del Sol Performance Hall in the USU, in-person or on zoom. Two follow-up workshops will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m. for faculty/staff and at 12:30 p.m. for students in the Flintridge Room, East Conference Center, USU. Participants will learn about Racial Battle Fatigue and ways to cope with subtle and overt forms of racism, as well as how racial micro- and macro-aggressions may affect their lives.
For a list of other self-care options, you can also go to our COE self-care website for resources for faculty, staff, students, and the community at
https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/self-care
I hope that many of us can take advantage of this great opportunity to learn more about Racial Battle Fatigue.
Warmly,
Shari