The SLN strives to be a community that includes people of every race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, political affiliation, immigration status, socioeconomic class, and kind of disability. Because disability is an identity that crosses all other identity groups, siblings of people with disabilities are members of many communities. We believe that becoming a truly integrated community that equitably serves all members is an ongoing process. As a network, we are committed to doing the work necessary to engage with this process. Last year, SLN created an important new committee – the Diversity and Social Justice Committee to help us address this commitment.
The Diversity and Social Justice Committee, in collaboration with partners IL LEND, FSRTC, and UIC DHD, hosted our first-ever Sibling Multicultural Roundtable on March 12, 2018. This event brought together a panel of 6 siblings (including a sib-in-law) who discussed various parts of their identities and how their backgrounds have impacted their sibling experience and world view. The diverse panel of siblings spoke about their experiences as it related to their ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, family composition, disability, nationality, career, and gender. An audience was invited to listen, learn, and ask questions. A great deal was shared and learned through the meaningful discussion. Thank you to our panelists: Anabelen Diaz, Abla Gharib, Hailee Yoshizaki-Gibbons, Natalie Morgan, Sumithra Murphy, and Benji Rubin. Also, thank you to Alison Whyte, Co-Chair of the SLN Diversity & Social Justice Committee, for her leadership on this event.
This event was videotaped and we look forward to being able to share it soon with SLN chapters who may be interested in creating their own roundtable locally.
