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#PTfam A word. Ive been a part of the TPTA Diversity Equity and Inclusion Taskforce for the past few months and am extremely grateful for the chance to serve on it. Currently we are gathering data from a survey that is meant to assess the landscape on DEI in the Texas PT world 1/
The survey is still open so please if you are a practicing PT/PTA or a student in Texas, please complete it! It takes about 5-10 mins and you will be entered in a raffle for a giftcard. Link: https://tpta.memberclicks.net/index.php?option=com_mcform&view=ngforms&id=2074744#/ 2/
Now that I said that. We have started to receive some surveys back and the comments are umm... yeah 
. I guess I shouldnât be surprised anymore honestly, but I just canât help but think there needs to be some type of screening process for medical professions to prevent bigots 3/
. I guess I shouldnât be surprised anymore honestly, but I just canât help but think there needs to be some type of screening process for medical professions to prevent bigots 3/
from entering. I dont know if some are truly ignorant and need to be taught differently or this is inherent proof of a more serious issue (rhetorical) Though 2 major sentiments have continued to befuddle throughout this process and really while I have worked to obtain this DPT 4/
Notion #1: Talking about racism, diversity and inequities somehow is the cause of the racism itself or worsens it. So we should just stop talking about it so much.
First of all. WHAT? Second of all, if a house is on fire and a fireman decides to turn his back on the fire and 5/
First of all. WHAT? Second of all, if a house is on fire and a fireman decides to turn his back on the fire and 5/
do nothing about it, does the fire magically canât put out? If anything the fire will spread and worsen until the whole block is burnt down. Extreme example, but idc. 6/
Notion #2: Why is the focus so much on diversity and race? I focus on skill and competence. If you are good at what you do, then it doesnât matter!
- if it were that simple and EVERYONE focused on only merit and skills, then why are there SO many horror stories from Black/POC 7/
- if it were that simple and EVERYONE focused on only merit and skills, then why are there SO many horror stories from Black/POC 7/
students about their experience during PT school and while practicing? Why all the research devoted to DEI? Somebodyâs lying here; this isnât a chicken and egg thing. Something caused the other thing to happen 8/
Iâm still not sure what causes people to get so angry when diversity is brought up (another rhetorical) but I think everyone needs to be a little more honest about what is happening around them 9/
If you genuinely have never experienced prejudice of any sort or had anyone close to you experience it, then kudos to you. Iâm happy that you havenât had to. But there are plenty of us who have, and I know itâs hard to do but you have practice human empathy here 10/
I have never had cancer or had any one close to me experience cancer before in my lifetime. But whenever I see someone having to deal with cancer, my heart goes out to them. Why? Because Iâm EM-PA-THE-TIC. You donât have to personally experience something to care. 11/
Now, diversity is for sure a hot topic right now that feels like itâs not going away soon but I hope that it doesnât. As I tweet this thread, Iâm sure there are many currently in comprising situations experiencing micro and macro-aggressions and may not have a way out of it 12/
That is why we must continue the conversation and actually ACT. You canât act like it doesnât exist just because it doesnât affect you. Even though I said all that, there were plenty people in the survey who DID understand the need for DEI and offered plenty of suggestions 13/
and words of encouragement. To them I say, thank you. Itâs unfortunate that all this needs to be said during BLACK HISTORY MONTH but I had some time today. Now everyone continue to have a great Black History Month and keep on learning. Also mask up and get vaccinated! 
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