In the summer of 2020, the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education called for the creation of a task force charged with examining the issues of equity, inclusion, diversity, systemic racism, and unconscious bias in massage therapy education. Volunteers from around the nation stepped up to form the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) task force. 

To-date, the EDI task force has produced both a Charter and a Value Statement.

The EDI Charter

The EDI Charter outlines the purpose, scope, objectives, deliverables and process of the EDI task force. To view the EDI task force Charter, click HERE (PDF).

The EDI Value Statement

Rationale: We believe representation matters at top levels in national organizations and among educators/school owners/staff/allied partners. Massage therapy is a field that shows biases in racial inclusion. (Balogun & Kennedy, 2020)

Statement: Equity, diversity and inclusion require the recognition of multicultural differences as well as the removal of barriers, actions, and activities that prevent minority participation in our organization, as well as in massage education, leadership, and massage therapy as a whole.

We are committed to creating inclusive environments premised on the dignity of all persons and regard this commitment as fundamental to both learning and therapeutic environments. We believe respect is paramount to creating safe and welcoming places of learning for all people. We maintain that accountability is necessary to combat systemic biases in both education and health care delivery.

The AFMTE strives to improve representation in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion. In the coming year, we will:

• Listen, collaborate, and build trust with underserved communities.
• Invite and encourage diverse involvement in our membership, committees, and Board of Directors.
• Partner with members of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities to gain feedback on how to make the organization more accessible and valuable to all massage therapy educators.
• Network with other groups within the broader massage and bodywork community seeking to become more equitable, diverse, and inclusive organizations.
• Create a group within the AFMTE to monitor the efforts made and results achieved in creating a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive organization.

Additional Activities

The task force also contributed questions for AFMTE’s 2020 Annual Survey. Currently, the group is working to complete its recommendations to the AFMTE Board of Directors. One of the items the task force has suggested is the creation of a standing committee charged with monitoring these ongoing and complex issues. The Board is currently in discussion. 
AFMTE will need volunteers to serve on this committee and welcomes applicants for other roles, as well. If you are interested in serving as a volunteer, please fill out our Volunteer Application form.

The AFMTE is a member-based organization, and your support really matters! Click here to learn more about AFMTE memberships