“As you progress in your journey to striving for racial equity, you will realize that it is a long, steep, and rocky path. Thus, it is important to stay on course, hold yourself accountable, and be proactive even if you feel you have learned it all. But that should not stop you because you have come a long way in striving for awareness in racial equity and giving up is not an option.”
If you have been following this racial equity awareness challenge, you are nine months into working your way toward the status of diversity, equity, and inclusion. While this might be the last post in the challenge, your work would not end here. In fact, it only means that you should now be ready to recruit more people to form a tribe. For this last step, you must build a rock-solid foundation for constant inspiration, so you do not lose touch with raising this awareness for racial equity.
Here is how you can stay inspired:
Join A Network Of Like-Minded Individuals:
As you progress in the journey, you will realize that it is not just you who is striving to know more about DEI and work for it, but there are so many more people. As you meet these people along the way, create a group or join a network where everyone’s values resonate and align with you. You can easily become a part of these groups if you are attending local events. Most of the organizations and non-profits working for DEI already have groups that people can choose to be part of.
If you can’t find such groups, use the networking opportunities to invite like-minded people to form a group of your own. Creating groups will help build collaborative opportunities and will create spaces for conversations. It will also help you all stay motivated and on track. In short, it will always keep you inspired and the conversation going even when the going gets tough.
Always Hold Yourself Accountable
Accountability has been discussed every month throughout the challenge, because of how important it is. No matter which stage of the challenge you are at, it is integral to ensure accountability. If you feel your motivation faltering or resolve to dwindle, hold yourself accountable. Look at the efforts you have made or have been making recently and gauge your performance. If you find any areas you’ve been lagging, hold yourself accountable.
When you ensure full transparency even with yourself, it will help you stay strong and enthusiastic about achieving results. Accountability is a major factor in ensuring victory and progress when it comes to racial equity as without it there is nothing that can keep people on track. So, always make sure you hold yourself liable, and take action if you are not on track.
Get Creative!
When everything else fails, music does wonders. As inspired by Dr. Moore who initiated the 21-day challenge, create a soundtrack for justice playlist that you should listen to every time you feel unmotivated and uninspired. You can find his playlist on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music.
Another way to stay encouraged is to journal your thoughts on racism every day. You can write every day about what you learned today, what you intend to do about it, what’s the course of action, and what’s your plan for the next day. Being creative and using that energy will keep you positive and urge you to stay on track.
“Remember that diversity, equity, and inclusion need hard work, consistency, and constant efforts. Without motivation and the passion to take this challenge, it will be hard for you to stay on top of all the initiatives you are taking part in. This challenge might be ending this month, but racism is not. This is why the world needs more people who will strive to work for racial equity beyond today.”