Lucrecia Slater is a native of central Florida. Upon graduating high school in 1999, she joined and served in the United States Army for thirteen years. She has served both nationally and internationally, including several deployment missions. Lucrecia is a published author, blogger, and mental health advocate; she began mental health advocacy shortly after her medical retirement from the Army. Lucrecia earned her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work degrees at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee. Shortly after, she began working as a mental health counselor for the university. When Lucrecia got accepted into the Doctor of Social Work program at the University of Kentucky in 2022, she resigned from her position to fully focus on this endeavor. In 2023, Lucrecia accepted a full-time position as a school-based therapist serving the high school population. She is currently a doctoral candidate, and her research interests include intersectionality, Black Feminist/Womanist theory, mental health, self-care, anti-racist, diversity, equality, and inclusion (ADEI) efforts. Lucrecia’s capstone project proposes intersectionality-focused self-care strategies for Black women educators employed at predominantly White institutions. She plans to continue her work within the scholarship of social justice, mental health, and ADEI initiatives for underrepresented populations, emphasizing Black women and girls. Lucrecia is a wife to another Army veteran and a mother of two daughters, one school-aged and the other serving in the Army overseas. In her spare time, Lucrecia enjoys iced café lattes, pastries, reading, exercising, and making memories with her family.
Lucrecia Slater
MSW, CLC
Creating Space: Intersectionality-Focused Self-Care Practices for African American Women Educators in Predominantly White Institutions
- April 22, 2024
- 1:00 PM -
- 2:00 PM
Abstract
Several African American women educators (AAWE) reported experiencing secondary traumatic stress (STS), racial battle fatigue (RBF), burnout, and a host of psychological and physiological challenges while employed as full-time faculty throughout predominantly White institutions (PWIs) in the United States. Scholars identified interventions and practices that proved effective for this population on an individual level but not institutionally. The author of this capstone project researched several pieces of literature for possible solutions to the challenges of this population; however, the literature was extant, therefore identifying a literature gap. The proposed theory suitable for this capstone product is intersectionality. This theory, synchronized with self-care methods, is a practice for AAWE’s engagement to help determine the best, most equitable, and most effective outcomes while employed within PWIs. This capstone project aims to continue adding to existing scholarship while emphasizing the lack of advocacy for this population within PWIs. Lastly, readers will learn how intersectionality is not a theory of division but one that is necessary for leveraging spaces where underrepresented populations can feel appreciated and empowered.