Welcome! This resource page was thoughtfully created by ALOTA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to support learning, dialogue, and advocacy aligned with AOTA’s Vision 2030. Here, you’ll find a curated collection of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) resources that elevate diverse voices, lived experiences, and professional insights. While ALOTA does not endorse every viewpoint represented, we believe growth happens when we listen, learn, and engage with perspectives that broaden our understanding. We invite you to explore, reflect, and be part of building a more inclusive future for our profession.

✨ Advice Before the Journey

This library of resources is not about checking boxes; it’s about building awareness, empathy, and capacity over time. Whether you read one chapter or ten books, your engagement matters.

Where Should I Start? (A Choose-Your Own JEDI Adventure)

Not sure where to begin? You're not behind, you're right on time. Use this guide to jump in where it feels right.

• "I'm curious but don't want to feel overwhelmed." Start with The Person You Mean to Be, Blindspot, or Between Us
• "I want to talk about JEDI without saying the wrong thing." Try So You Want to Talk About Race or Difficult Conversations
• "I work in healthcare and want this to apply to my practice." Explore Medical Apartheid, Health Disparities in the United States, or Cultural Competency for Health Professionals
• "I'm ready to understand systems, history and the "why." Dive into The New Jim Crow, Caste, or The Color of Law
• "I'm a leader (or becoming one) (FYI: everyone is a leader... just saying)." Start with Belonging at Work, How to Be an Inclusive Leader, or The Loudest Duck

There's no wrong starting point, only the next page to change.

1. I'm Still Here
2. The Person You Mean to Be
3. So You Want to Talk About Race
4. Difficult Conversations
5. Between Us

***Great for learning how identity, culture, and communication show up in classrooms, fieldwork, and future workplace.***

 Emotional & Cognitive "Weight" Guide

(Because sometimes you need to know what kind of day to read a book)

• Light/ Encouraging/ Reflective

1. The Person You Mean to Be
2. Between Us
3. The Art of Gathering

• Moderate/ Thought-Provoking/ Skill-Building

1. Blindspot
2. Difficult Conversations
3. So You Want to Talk About Race
4. Belonging at Work

• Heavy/ Historical/ Systems-Focused

1. The New Jim Crow
2. Medical Apartheid
3. Caste
4. Stamped from the Beginning 
5. The Warmth of Other Suns

• Trauma-Informed/ Healing-Centered 

1. My Grandmother's Hand
2. What Happened to You?
3. Black Fatigue 

***It's okay to pace yourself. Learning is not a race, and rest is part of growth.***

 JEDI "Warm-Up" Reads

Approachable, encouraging, and great places to start (no PhD required)

These books are thoughtful without being overwhelming; perfect for readers who want to grow awareness without feeling shamed, blamed, or buried. 

• The Person You Mean to Be - Dolly Chugh: A compassionate, conversational guide for well-intended people who want to do better. Insightful, hopeful, and refreshingly human
• You're More Powerful Than You Think - Eric Liu: An uplifting exploration of everyday power and civic influence, told with energy and humor.
• I'm Still Here - Austin Channing Brown: Honest, relatable reflection on identity and belonging in professional spaces, deep without being heavy. 
• Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People - Banaji & Greenwald: Science-based and accessible, this book reframes bias as human, not moral failure, while increasing self-awareness. 
• Between Us - Batja Mesquita: A fascinating look at how culture shapes emotion, communication, and connection, great for clinicians working across differences.

"Let's Talk About It" Books

Because avoiding hard conversations has never actually worked.

These reads help build confidence and skill in navigating uncomfortable but necessary conversations at work and beyond. 

• So You Want to Talk About Race - Ijeoma Oluo: Clear, direct, and often witty, this book makes tough topics feel approachable and actionable.
• Difficult Conversations - Stone, Patton, & Heen: A classic with a practical frameworks and real-life examples for navigating emotional dialogue.
•  We Can't Talk About That at Work! - Mary-Frances Winters: Strategic, practical, and surprisingly light, perfect for teams striving for psychological safety. 
• Subtle Acts of Exclusion- Tiffany Jana & Michael Baran: A constructive, script-based approach to recognizing and addressing microaggressions without defensiveness.

Trauma-Informed & Healing-Centered Reads

For those who understand that bodies, systems, and history are deeply connected. 

These books explore how trauma, individual and collective, shapes behavior, health, and belonging.

• My Grandmother's Hands - Resmaa Menakem: A powerful body-centered exploration of racialized trauma and healing. 
• What Happened to You? - Bruce Perry & Oprah Winfrey: A compassionate, neuroscience-informed look at trauma, resilience, and human behavior
• Black Fatigue - Mary-Frances Winters: A critical examination of the physical and emotional toll of systemic racism.

Historic & Systems-Level JEDI Reads

Heavier, essential, and deeply eye-opening (bring a highlighter and a snack)

These books provide historical context and structural understanding essential for equity-informed practice. 

• The New Jim Crow - Michelle Alexander: A foundational analysis pf mass incarceration and systemic racial control. 
• Caste - Isabel Wilkerson: A compelling framework for understanding hierarchy and exclusion across societies
• Stamped from the Beginning - Ibram X. Kendi: A comprehensive history of how racist were created and sustained. 
• Medical Apartheid - Harriet Washington: Required reading for healthcare professionals committed to ethical and equitable care. 
• The Color of Law - Richard Rothstein: A clear examination of government-created segregation and its lasting effects. 
• The Warmth of Other Suns - Isabel Wilkerson: A beautifully written account of the Great Migration told through lived experiences.
• Racism: A Short History - George M. Frederickson: A concise, scholarly overview of racism across Western societies
• Health Disparities in the United States - Donald Barr: A data-driven look at inequities in health systems and outcomes.

Leadership, Workplace & Belonging 

• The Art of Gathering - Priya Parker: A joyful guide to creating inclusive, meaningful group experiences.
• Belonging at Work - Rhodes Perry: Practical strategies for cultivating cultures where authenticity and respect are norm. 
• The Loudest Duck - Laura Liswood: A smart, business-focused look at how cultural values influence workplace dynamics.
• How to Be an Inclusive Leader - Jennifer Brown: A step-by-step guide for leaders committed to real, sustainable change. 
• The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias - Fuller, Murphy & Chow: Practical tools for reframing bias and building high-performing, connected teams.

Healthcare & OT-Specific Perspectives

Grounded, practical, and directly relevant to occupational therapy practice. 

• Cultural Competency for Health Professionals - Wells & Black (AOTA): A profession-specific guide for delivering culturally responsive, client-centered care

 

Still here?!?! Welcome to ALOTA's JEDI Video Learning Library!

Explore. Reflect. Apply. 

 

Getting Started

1. Y-Vonne Hutchinson - Where DEI Falls Short - and How to Rethink It: https://www.ted.com/talks/y_vonne_hutchinson_where_dei_falls_short_and_how_to_rethink_it. A practical, honest look at why traditional DEI approaches often miss the mark and how shifting from intent can create meaningful change. 
2. Carin Taylor - Belonging: A Critical Piece of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jK0gyQCoTs. Explores why belonging, not just presentation, is the key to people feeling valued, heard, and empowered in organization
3. Janet Stovall - How to Get Serious About Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: https://www.ted.com/talks/janet_stovall_how_to_get_serious_about_diveristy_and_inclusion_in_the_workplace. A clear, actionable talk that moves DEI from statements to strategy, emphasizing accountability and outcomes. 
4. Yara Shahidi - Let Curiosity Lead: https://www.ted.com/talks/yara_shahidi_let_curiosity_lead. A reflective conversation about curiosity, humility, and listening, foundational skills for inclusive dialogue. 
5. Amber Cabral - 3 Steps to Better Connect with Your Fellow Humans: https://www.ted.com/talks/amber_cabray_3_steps_to_better_connect_with_your_fellow_humans. A human-centered approach to inclusion that emphasizes empathy, self-awareness, and everyday connection. 

Learn & Apply

Research-informed talks with clear workplace relevance

1. Rocio Lorenzo - How Diversity Makes Teams More Innovative: https://www.ted.com/talks/rocio_lorenzo_how_diversity_makes_teams_more_innovative. Uses data to show how diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones, especially when inclusion is intentional. 
2. Paolo Gaudiano - What DEI Gets Wrong - and How to Do It Right: https://www.ted.com/talks/paolo_gaudiano_what_dei_gets_wrong_and_how_to_do_it_right. Breaks down common DEI missteps and reframes the work through systems, behavior, and outcomes.
3. Rebeca Hwang - The Power of Diversity Within Yourself: https://www.ted.com/talks/rebeca_hwang_the_power_of_diversity_within_yourself. Encourages reflection on identity, lived experience, and how our differences become strengths. 
4. Lera Boroditsky - How Language Shapes the Way We Think: https://www.ted.com/talks/lera_boroditsky_how_language_shapes_the_way_we_think. Demonstrates how language influences perception, decision-making, and culture - highly relevant to inclusion practice.  
5. Joan C. Williams - Why Corporate Diversity Program Fail: https://www.ted.com/talks/joan_c_williams_why_corporate_diversity_programs_fail. A data-driven examination of bias and how small, evidence-based changes can lead to big impact. 

Reflect & Challenge 

Deeper conversations on race, bias, systems, and equity

1. Baratunde Thurston - How to Deconstruct Racism, One Headline at a Time: https://www.ted.com/talks/baratunde_thurston_how_to_deconstruct_racism_one_headline_at_a_time. Uses humor and insight to unpack how media narratives shape racial understanding and systemic bias. 
2. Julia Lashay Israel - The Ultimate Win-Win: Why DEI Can't DIE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F67Mdjphed0. A passionate reminder that DEI is not a trend, it's a strategy for sustainable, human-centered success.
3. Sarah Hassaine - Why D&I Is Not What You Think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-9xPAmduNQ. Challenges surface-level definitions of diversity and invites deeper understanding and responsibility. 

Featured Voices & Emerging Leaders

Spotlight talks shaping the future of equity and inclusion

1. Mikel Whitter - The Invisible Game: https://youtu.be/77zhdtFmY-I?si=B-8jVRZdjfagu7rm. Brings a powerful equity-focused lens grounded in systems change, leadership, and justice - particularly relevant for healthcare and community-based professions.