The Math Ain’t Mathing: Professionals of Color Working Twice as Hard to Get Half as Far
Day Two: November 14, 2024 | 1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., Marquee Theater
Session Video
Session Materials
Session Description
The purpose of this session is to explore the common refrain heard by professionals of color (working twice as hard to get half as far) and the impact that it has on job satisfaction, emotional and physical wellbeing, and burnout. This session will delve into the invisible labor and added pressure of being a person of color in the workspace, and how internal and external messages about competence, productivity, and expectations affect self-concept. This interactive session will help participants reflect on the messages they’ve received throughout their journey to becoming professionals and aid them in identifying strategies to unlearn unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. This presentation will incorporate concepts from Hershey’s Rest is Resistance model, Black feminist theory, and cognitive behavioral theory.
Session Objectives
- Increased awareness and recognition of the unique challenges faced by professionals of color in the workplace
- Enhanced understanding of the impact of societal stereotypes and expectations on job satisfaction, emotional well-being, and burnout among professionals of color
- Improved ability to identify and navigate instances of invisible labor and added pressure experienced by individuals from marginalized backgrounds in professional settings
- Develop strategies to challenge and unlearn unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors stemming from societal biases and harmful messaging
Speaker
April Scott
Dr. April Scott currently serves as the director of diversity and inclusion for health and wellbeing at UW–Madison. She is responsible for creating strategies, policies and training opportunities that actively promote inclusion and battle inequity, while also coordinating DEI efforts across Health and Wellbeing (Recreation Wellness and University Health Services) to ensure cohesion and alignment with the mission, vision, and values of the department. Dr. Scott brings a wealth of experience to this role as a highly sought-after speaker on topics such as psychological safety, racial battle fatigue, health equity, and mental and emotional wellbeing for faculty, staff, and students. She has facilitated workshops and trainings at numerous universities and non-profit organizations such as the University of Louisville, Auburn University, South Carolina Office of Rural Health, and NASPA. In her previous roles, Dr. Scott has been responsible for decreasing public and personal stigma surrounding mental health conditions through strategic planning; coordinating mental health outreach; training; education to faculty, staff and students; and working with campus administrators to improve students’ mental health and wellbeing and promote a culture of positive mental health on campus.
