Launched an initiative focused on sustaining BIPOC leaders at the intersection of social justice and systems change.

AESOP's (Activists Engaged in Sustaining our Power and Purpose) Network provides an opportunity for social justice leaders to connect with peers and access resources to help them sustain their work amidst the challenges of structural discrimination, racism, and feelings of burnout.

In the initial phase of this network, we recruited 25 Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) leaders from across Texas to participate in a four-year co-creation process alongside a team of subject matter experts and partners. We conducted focus groups, interviews with participants, and a literature scan to deepen our understanding of contributors to stress and burnout for BIPOC social justice leaders and the ways in which leaders need to be supported in their communities and organizations. A sequence of large group meetings provided space for collective visioning, self-expression, and reflective discussion, while an in-person luncheon facilitated connection among participants. Small group healing circles also helped participants generate self-care practices to incorporate into their daily routines.

Funder: Hogg Foundation for Mental Health.

Image by the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health.