As I begin this new research journey I have been reflecting on the goals of my work. My first commitment to Cultural Humility was to conduct this project outside the bounds of the academy and IRB because I don’t believe this work belongs to the academy. Even though it is graciously funded by an Imagination Grant from Vanderbilt’s Divinity School, I consider this project a journey about wisdom collection rather than knowledge production because the work is designed as a self and community reflection tool.

In my search to wrestle with the decision about housing my work int the academy, I ran across this video about cultural humility which talks about ways to integrate humility into the work of the academy. From their own words:

The film describes a set of principles that guide the thinking, behavior and actions of individuals and institutions influencing interpersonal relationships as well as systems change. These principles are:
• Lifelong learning and critical self-reflection
• Recognize and change power imbalances
• Institutional accountability
More than a concept, Cultural Humility is a communal reflection to analyze the root causes of suffering and create a broader, more inclusive view of the world. Originally developed by Doctors Melanie Tervalon and Jann Murray-Garcia (1998) to address health disparities and institutional inequities in medicine, Cultural Humility is now used in public health, social work, education, and non-profit management.

1. What do you think about the connection between the community and the academy and your role?
2. If you are also in grad school or a professor, how do decide what “belongs” to the academy and what “belongs” to the community?
3. How do we balance research constraints with our commitments to community-based work?