Care is an important consideration when creating change for anti-racism. In Supporting Decolonisation in Museums, care is one of the Decolonising Principles:
“Take care – Care for yourself and all those who are part of this work.”
We recognise that working to create change can bring a level of visibility to individuals within their organisations, which can be challenging and draining. This burden can be even more intensive for those with a lived experience of racism, who may already be managing a high level of visibility in a majority white workplace.
We invite you to reflect on the questions below, to consider how you can bring care into your work to create change:
- How could you offer support and solidarity to those already doing this work, particularly people with a lived experience of racism?
- How could you care for and support yourself while undertaking work to create change? Who could you debrief with and reach out to? Be mindful here of not over-burdening people with a lived experience of racism.
- What could you put in place to recognise burnout in yourself and others?
The Museums Association’s Wellbeing Hub includes resource to care for and support your wellbeing and those you work with. This piece offers advice on handling burnout.