Time And Grace = Space (T. A. G. S.)
One year ago on September 1st, 2020, I started the next phase of my professional life as the Associate Dean for Community, Engagement, Equity, and Inclusion at Emory School of Medicine. It was a year like no other: 2020.
On further reflection, 2021 has given me time to pause and consider the myriad of emotions that bring me to this one-year milestone.
TAGS – (Time And Grace = Space) became my word for this year. TAGS, simply put, we all need Time And Grace Space. TAGS to give ourselves, TAGS to give others, and TAGS to receive from others.
July 22nd, 2021 marked my 25th year working at Emory University School of Medicine. The world was and still is on fire. COVID-19 and systemic racism became the buzzwords of the year and it became a critical moment for TAGS.
Reflecting on starting my new professional life full-time, God's grace and his direction became infinitely clear. Hitting the ground running., a sense of urgency prevailed. How do we move the needle towards justice when justice was clearly elusive in our nation and in our world? How would I, in this new position, place a brick, one brick at a time, on a house that needs to be deconstructed then reconstructed after reckoning with our past to move towards our future?
The work began more than 20 years ago with the need to address diversity and inclusion in Emergency Medicine. It was on February 1st, 2001 that I wrote my first paper on Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (see prior blog). As time marched forward, the link to Wellness and Well-being was clear. How can you be well if you are not equitably included? Constructs so simple yet need to be studied to help us understand why inclusion is necessary and what role we each must play to ensure we embrace this truth. Rather than go through the historical accounts of my 25-year journey at Emory, including my one-year journey as Associate Dean, the key thing, it is clear the thing we need most is TAGS.
TIME; We all get 24 hours in a day so what will we do with it? GRACE; Biblical in its construct but beautiful in its meaning - a spirit of humility, kindness, and love. SPACE; to think, to hear, to feel, to love. TAGS. Will we use TAGS to continue to move the strategic plan on diversity, equity, inclusion, antiracism, and social justice? Do we use TAGS to challenge each other yet understand each other, those who may not be ready to embrace the direction we must go? TAGS to feel discomfort in knowing that the truth shall set us free. TAGS to pause and to wonder what the beauty of the world would be if we truly as a community equitably engage and include one another.