The Tea House Series: Striving Together to be Antiracist

Background: Though awareness of health care structures that are racist and oppressive is increasing among health care professionals, there is a gap in continuing education curricula focused on antiracist anti-oppressive practices, and limited faculty and staff development to guide individuals towards action.

Aim: To develop, implement, and evaluate a novel antiracist faculty and staff development program called the Tea House Series.

Setting and participants: A five-part continuing education series with an accompanying online community for faculty and staff at the divisions of Hospital Medicine in one institution in the western United States.

Program description: The four foundational pillars integral to the Tea House Series were as follows: educational framework based on the pedagogy of Paulo Freire, local disparities data, welcoming space to establish a community of practice and accountability. Each session contained participant dialogue in small group activities.

Program evaluation: Qualitative analysis of participant survey responses demonstrated transformation towards a hope to act with a sense of community. Quantitative analysis measured increased confidence for the program learning objectives.

Discussion: The Tea House Series may be used as a model for continuing education to provide the tools and the community to confront systems of racism and oppression in any institution.