Racism erodes the mind, body, and spirit, leaving lasting impacts on health, productivity, and overall success for those on the receiving end, resulting in Black intergenerational fatigue.

In this special replay of a 2021 session from our Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Series, Black Fatigue author Mary-Frances Winters sheds light on the impact of Black fatigue — not only on Black people, but on society as a whole. She explores the physiological and psychological impacts of racism and offered strategies to manage it in this current racial climate. She also provides ways to ensure self-care is a priority for Black people and people of color, and identifies actions for allyship.

Following Winters’ presentation, she is joined by Kimberly Atkins, senior opinion writer at The Boston Globe and MSNBC contributor for a thought-provoking conversation on the perpetuation of racist systems, the racial disparities on Black people and people of color, and the critical state of mental health as a result of social and racial injustice.

 

Mary-Frances Winters

MARY-FRANCES WINTERS is the founder and CEO of The Winters Group, Inc., a global organization development and diversity and inclusion consulting firm with over 36 years of experience. Dubbed a thought leader in the field, for the past three decades she has impacted over hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals with her thought-provoking message, and her approach to diversity and inclusion. Winters is a master strategist with experience in strategic planning, change management, diversity, organization development, training and facilitation, systems thinking and qualitative and quantitative research methods. She has served on national not-for profit, corporate and university boards, and has received many awards and honors including the ATHENA award, Diversity Pioneer (Profiles in Diversity Journal), The Winds of Change (Forum on Workplace Inclusion) and Forbes Top 10 diversity trailblazers. She is the author of six books, including the recent release of Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit and Inclusive Conversations: Fostering Equity Empathy and Belonging Across Differences. @maryfwinters

Kimberly Atkins

KIMBERLY ATKINS is a senior opinion writer at The Boston Globe. She is also an MSNBC contributor. Previously, she was the first Washington, DC-based news correspondent for WBUR. She has also served as the Boston Herald’s Washington bureau chief, guest host of C-SPAN’s morning call-in show Washington Journal, and a Supreme Court reporter for Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and its sister publications.

She began her journalism career as an intern at The Boston Globe. She has appeared as a political commentator on a host of national and international television and radio networks, including CNN, Fox News, NBC News, PBS, NPR, Sky News (UK), and CBC News (Canada). Before launching her journalism career, she was a trial and appellate litigation attorney in Boston. Atkins is a native of Michigan, and a graduate of Wayne State University, Boston University School of Law and Boston University College of Communication, and the Columbia University Graduate School

 

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