A Pledge to Mobilize Against Racism

Racism in occupational therapy: “It’s part of who we are . . .”

“…In the United Kingdom (UK) and globally, protests led to the defacing and toppling of statues and monuments commemorating colonial rulers and supporters of the enslavement of African peoples. 2020 also saw the release of statements condemning racism, and committing to anti-racist actions, by several occupational therapy organizations and journals (AOTA, 2021; CAOT, 2020; Gustafsson et al, 2022; Justice-based Occupational Therapy [JBOT], 2020; RCOT, 2020a; Stanley et al, 2020; World Federation of Occupational Therapists [WFOT], 2020). Such professions of commitment to anti-racism are important, if institutions can be held accountable to them.…”

Editorial

“…In the final editorial of 2020, I noted the growing, collective impatience with systemic injustices experienced by people subjected to everyday racism and to historical and presentday colonisation. Stimulated to action by the resurgence of Black Lives Matter, and marking our belief in the valuable contribution occupational scientists can make to exposing and countering the ill effects of racism, the JOS Editorial Board signed a pledge to continue to support that work (Stanley et al, 2020). Along with translating the pledge into multiple languages to increase its visibility, we assembled a virtual issue of key articles published in JOS where racism is exposed and challenged.…”

A commentary on occupation, injustice, and anti-black racism in the United States of America (Lavalley & Johnson, 2020)

“…With the ongoing evolution of occupational science, it is necessary to continue to consider other national and global perspectives of racism and anti-racism, including Indigenous experiences. It is essential to recognize the significant roles in engaging in dialogue, reflection, and analyses, but it is imperative that this accompanies anti-racist actions within the occupational science discipline (Stanley et al, 2020), while influencing occupational therapy towards a more transformative and responsive practice. Endnote 1.…”