From the Editor

Globally, uncertainty with the pandemic endures, and the presence of systemic racism in society continues. As Martin Luther King, Jr. shared, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.”

Personally, I am committed to listening, looking inward and amplifying my support for positive change. We can all do better in cultivating “ ...  a diverse and inclusive culture that supports equity, acceptance, and respect for the differences in others” (http://www.bu.edu/sargent/about-us/diversity-inclusion/).

Two approaches that I am taking are to make my voice heard and to be better educated. Here are some recommended reads:

How to Be an Antiracist (Ibram X. Kendi)

White Fragility (Robin DiAngelo)

Tacky’s Revolt: The Story of an Atlantic Slave War (Vincent Brown)

So You Want to Talk About Race (Ijeoma Oluo)

Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing American’s Heartland (Jonathan M. Metzl)

Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in America (Eduardo Bonilla-Silva)

Fatal Invention (Dorothy Roberts)

Eloquent Rage (Brittney Cooper)

This issue of WORK contains 22 papers in total, including two articles on COVID-19: Modification of existing occupational therapeutic protocols in response to new normal life after COVID-19 and Most cited and co-cited COVID-19 articles: Knowledge base for rehabilitation team members. The other articles are on a variety of topics such as neuropsychological effects of long-term occupational exposure to mercury among chloralkali workers; e-worker postural comfort in the ‘third-workplace’: an ergonomic design assessment; assessment of risk of tripping before and after crossing obstacles under dimmed lighting conditions; identifying factors influencing nurses’ work ability within the framework of system engineering initiative for patient safety; roadmap for the development of a resilience indicator system for protection and civil; a review of the evidence literature on defense organizations; and socio-psychological effects of stress in organizations’ absenteeism problems among other topics.

Finally, here is a list of our upcoming Learn at WORK webinars:

Wednesday, July 8, 2020 from 1pm–2pm EST

A conceptual framework to promote career development for vocational rehabilitation consumers with traumatic brain injuries

Presenter: David Strauser, [e-mail]

Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/61045286798182412

Wednesday, August 5, 2020 from 1pm–2pm EST

Does objectively measured prolonged standing for desk work result in lower ratings of perceived low back pain than sitting? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Presenter: Diana Decarvalho, [e-mail]

Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/739866173672625164

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 from 1pm–2pm EST

Millennial preferences in training messages: The role of teamwork and corporate social responsibility to WORK

Presenter: Diana Schwerha, [e-mail] & Tyler Clark, [e-mail]

Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2725235628413300749

Wednesday, October 14, 2020 from 1pm–2pm EST

Development of an online digital resource accessible for students with visual impairment or blindness: challenges and strategies

Presenter: Dr. Almeida, [e-mail]

Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8581833792537508621

If you missed any of the Learn at WORK webinars, you can find the recordings on our website at workjournal.org and at the Learn at WORK YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOJalCXvSg9fPHaFFs48PuQ

I welcome hearing from you. Be safe. Be healthy. Be informed. Be present.

All my best,