Healthy Minds Innovations Statement – June 2020
At Healthy Minds Innovations, we support justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the innumerable Black victims of institutional and individual racism. As an organization, and as people, we are committed to breaking down systemic racism. Black lives matter. We are devoted to anti-racism and to dismantling white supremacy as we stand in solidarity with this struggle.
And, solidarity starts with self reflection.
For some time, we have been frustrated by the lack of representation of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) voices and experiences in the mindfulness and meditation community, including our own. The voices of the meditation teachers in the Healthy Minds Program app do not yet fully reflect the diversity of race, ethnicity, or cultural background of those whom we wish to support and advance.
Here’s what we’re doing about it:
- We are bringing new content to our well-being tools, including building partnerships and seeking funding to support the diversification of our meditation teachers in our app, as well as the types of practices we offer.
- We are asking people to be part of our user experience studies to listen to and seek out feedback from communities with limited representation in the mindfulness and meditation space.
- Everyone, we have an ongoing forum where we gather input on our products in general: https://bit.ly/healthy-minds-product-studies
- University students, please fill out this form to join our current study: https://bit.ly/university-student-study (Update August: Note this study is now closed.)
- We are putting in place organizational guidelines and goals to bring further representation into our own house, specifically through hiring practices and inclusivity education. (We plan to connect with many of the fantastic racial justice organizations run locally to support us in this endeavor.)
Our vision is a kinder, wiser, more compassionate WORLD – not just a kinder, wiser, more compassionate world for some. A world where we can ALL safely breathe together.
We stand with the protestors and all who seek justice. And we will take direct action in our own organization, ensuring we are part of the solution.
One of our core beliefs is that when you change your mind you can change the world. The pain and grief is palpable and changes are needed. Whether through our personnel, products, or the power of our words, we will do everything possible to lead this change from within.
