Look out everyone! Dr. Aldridge has obtained 2 more publications under her belt. The first article is listed in the Journal of Occupational Therapy Education's October edition -  "Belonging: A Phenomenological Study of Systemic Racism Experienced Among Black Students in Occupational Therapy Programs."

The second article was published in the Summer 2023 edition of The Peace Chronicle through the Peace and Justice Studies Association under title, "A Reflection on Black Occupational Therapy Students' Sense of Belonging," (pages 87-94) co-authored by Sierra Green, OTR/L and Chloe Hill, OTR/L. This article states that, "belonging addressed how the participants view how supported they are in occupational roles and their sense of connectedness and shared identity in the classroom or clinic. The lack of inclusivity and diversity in the profession led to Black occupational therapy (OT) students, practitioners, and educators lacking a sense of Belonging. This also contributes to them being unable to handle problems about systemic racism and difficulty connecting to others."

These topics and themes resonate well within the black community of OT practitioners and students. It demonstrates there is still a lot of work to be done to foster a feeling of inclusivity and create safe, diverse spaces for practitioners and students alike. We are happy to see representation in action within a publication and having the latitude to plainly speak about issues of race.

*image citation, Aldridge, N., Green, S., Hill, C. A reflection on black occupational therapy students' sense of belonging, 87-94.The Peace Chronicle. Peace and Justice Studies Association.