Within the AED and the greater eating disorders field, Black and Brown professionals are underrepresented and tend to lack a safe or brave space to share their lived experiences and professional interests related to their racial, ethnic, and cultural identities. The Black and Brown Professionals in Eating Disorders Special Interest Group, or B&B SIG, originated after a group of Black and Brown professionals convened at the International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED) 2023 and shared a desire and passion for creating an affinity group to support each other within the AED and beyond. The B&B SIG aims to bring together a global professional network of Black and Brown professionals that fosters connection and belonging within the AED and the eating disorders field, broadly. To achieve this, we provide opportunities to support Black and Brown professionals across the globe from all disciplines and career stages.
Ongoing initiatives include weekly writing sessions, quarterly meetings, facilitating mentorship and collaborations, and promoting members' success. During our weekly writing sessions, any member can join the session, identify a writing goal, spend the next 45-50 minutes writing, and then let the group know whether they achieved their goal or ask any questions. To promote connection beyond ICED, in September, we plan to meet up in California (USA) at the annual meeting of the Eating Disorders Research Society. We encourage members to meet up at other conferences that more than one member will be attending. These meetups allow Black and Brown professionals to connect more frequently and potentially identify opportunities to collaborate and support each other. In the fall, we will be launching quarterly consultation groups to discuss professional challenges in the context of being Black and Brown in professional spaces within the eating disorders field. We also plan to create new opportunities to support early career scholars in the SIG, such as dissertation writing groups, a webinar on applying to graduate school, resume workshops, and more.
Our members come from diverse professional backgrounds—including nursing, medicine, social work, nutrition, and clinical, social, and developmental psychology—and represent a wide range of career stages, from post-baccalaureate research assistants to seasoned clinicians and professors. We welcome and encourage you to join the B&B SIG and become an active part of this growing and supportive community within the AED!