The work of the Ujima Institute helps to support The Ujima Center, a community just care center, in Monroe, Louisiana. We provide holistic care across the lifespan.
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Uncomfortable with diversity, equity, and inclusion conversations or planning??
We live in a world that encourages isolation and segregation. Training and practice are needed to live an inclusive life or create an inclusive workplace. Get the personal or organizational help that you need. The Ujima Institute or its Foundation can guide you on your journey.
We can help make the uncomfortable comfortable.
30 Years
of Collective Responsibility
Become a Part of the
Ujima Village
For more than 30 years, we’ve been supporting our community members in a variety of ways to support and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. We measure success not just by diversity or financial measures, but also qualitative measurements such as the scale and effectiveness of our efforts. We understand that new words, processes, and thoughts can be uncomfortable.
Uncomfortability is part of the process but we can help you or your organization
learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Just imagine what we can achieve together!
Individuals
Organizations
Looking for the
Black Rehabilitation Manifesto??
"The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house."
"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences."
"Your silence will not protect you." - Audre Lorde
01/
Advocacy Demands
Advocacy has a complex history of personal gain and altruism, but regardless of the intention of the advocate, it can be a powerful tool to uplift the voices of the silenced. We outline real and perceived experiences as it relates to the lack of advancement of the complex Black voice and potential solutions to overcome barriers to advancement and recognition of the Black individual, culture, and community.
02/
Community Engagement Demands
Addressing the needs of any community at individual, societal, and systemic levels requires a comprehensive, yet careful approach. The complex and diverse Black community requires special attention to fully understand how the nuances of its history as well as the formation of positive partnerships can impact health, wellness, research, and rehabilitation services.
03/
Educational Demands
Black people have historically been and are currently underrepresented in rehabilitation careers. We have identified problems and solutions at the individual, community, organizational, and national levels for sustained educational change. Representation matters; intentional engagement with Black people throughout the lifespan about the variety of opportunities in rehabilitation careers will result in a sustained workforce of Black practitioners to narrow the gap in representation.
04/
Practice Demands
Black people exhibit medical mistrust as a result of multigenerational health care abuse. Racial discordance between a patient/client and the healthcare provider predicts inadequate quality of care. The lack of Black representation among rehabilitation providers further exacerbates health disparities within Black communities.
We, as Black rehabilitation practitioners, students, and patients/clients of occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech language pathology, in order to establish the value of our lives and contributions to society, ensure equity for Black practitioners and consumers, promote solidarity on issues pertaining to professional practice, and provide a collective voice on societal issues, do ordain this Black Rehabilitation Manifesto.
Tahira Collier, PT, DPT, CSCS, NCPT; Aaron Embry, PT, DPT, PhD, MSCR ; Efosa Erhunmwunse, DPT; Victoria Gaugis, PT, DPT; Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP, BCTS; Mica Mitchell, PT, DPT, C/NDT, Board-Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist; Lisa VanHoose, PhD, MPH, PT, Board-Certified Oncologic Clinical Specialist; Tiffany Adams, PT, DPT, MBA, Board-Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist; Onyekachim Amauwah, DPT; Drew E. Anderson, SPT; DeAndrea Bullock, PT, DPT, CCI; Garrison P. Cherry, SPT Imani L. Coles, SPT; Marcia Darbouze, PT, DPT, FMS, CYT ; Jennifer D. Hutton, PT, DPT; Candace Johnson, MOTS; Khalilah R. Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L; Victoria Junious, SPT; Cherie LeDoux, PT, DPT, PhD candidate; Tyra N. Mitchell, PT, DPT, MHA, CLT; Raveenn S. Smith Mowbray, SPT; Oluremi Onifade, PT, DPT, M.Ed, CCI, CCVT; Margaret Pittman, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist; Katherine Sylvester, PT, DPT; Kimberly Varnado, PT, DPT, DHSc, Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist; Briana L. Partee, PT, DPT;Tahira Collier, PT, DPT, CSCS, NCPT ; Aaron Embry, PT, DPT, PhD Candidate, MSCR; Efosa Erhunmwunse, DPT; Victoria Gaugis, PT, DPT; Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP, BCTS; Mica Mitchell, PT, DPT, C/NDT, Board-Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist; Lisa VanHoose, PhD, MPH, PT, Board-Certified Oncologic Clinical Specialist; Tiffany Adams, PT, DPT, MBA, Board-Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialist; Onyekachim Amauwah, DPT; Drew E. Anderson, SPT ; DeAndrea Bullock, PT, DPT, CCI; Garrison P. Cherry, SPT Imani L. Coles, SPT ; Marcia Darbouze, PT, DPT, FMS, CYT; Jennifer D. Hutton, PT, DPT; Candace Johnson, MOTS; Khalilah R. Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L; Victoria Junious, SPT ; Cherie LeDoux, PT, DPT, PhD candidate; Tyra N. Mitchell, PT, DPT, MHA, CLT ; Raveenn S. Smith Mowbray, SPT; Oluremi Onifade, PT, DPT, M.Ed, CCI, CCVT; Margaret Pittman, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist; Katherine Sylvester, PT, DPT; Kimberly Varnado, PT, DPT, DHSc, Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist; Briana L. Partee, PT, DPT; and many others......................