Self-Care as Collective Care:
Holding Steady in a Shifting Landscape

In a time when Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) efforts are being challenged, restricted, and even reversed, the word “self-care” can feel like a luxury—or worse, a retreat. But for those of us who have long worked to create space for those who have been “othered,” self-care must be reframed—not as a personal indulgence, but as a collective practice of restoration, resistance, and relationship for our communities.

Self-care is not just about preserving the self—it’s about preserving the we.
And in this moment, more than ever, it is about recognizing that our care for one another is not a sideline effort but a unifying force that binds us in purpose, resilience, and shared humanity. We continue to do this through the legacy of the Philadelphia Area Multicultural Resource Center (MCRC), today known as MCRC@ADVIS.

In fact, “preserving the we” is embedded in the mission and history of the Philadelphia Area Multicultural Resource Center (MCRC)—an initiative founded in 1990 by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) to serve as one of seven regional centers dedicated to expanding diversity in independent school education. It was not created to be a moment; it was created to be a movement—one that reminds us that when we come together across our differences, we do not weaken but strengthen the whole.

“Our goal is to enrich our schools through increased knowledge, awareness, and understanding of diverse cultures and diverse perspectives within our own culture…” (MCRC Mission Statement, 1990)

MCRC@ADVIS was born as a resource—yes—but also as a village square, a collaborative model of kinship-building, where conversations about racism, sexism, economic inequity, and cultural inclusion were not optional but essential to academic and institutional excellence.

Ten years ago, ADVIS merged with MCRC to become MCRC@ADVIS. Despite today’s political headwinds, the MCRC@ADVIS’s mission is not paused. It is pressing forward. At ADVIS, we affirm this moment as one not of retreat—but of recommitment.

We are proud that MCRC@ADVIS continues to lead with vision, courage, and consistency. Our work has never relied on momentary popularity or trend; it has been shaped by need, by legacy, and by the unshakable belief that our schools must reflect the world in which our students live.

This month, MCRC@ADVIS will host its flagship DEIJB Conference, Legacy, Strength, and Vision: Navigating our Path Ahead. We continue centering Belonging in school communities, reaffirming our commitment to this work. Because when we gather, we do more than share strategies—we build solidarity. This is a unifying act of the "we," a space where our individual efforts coalesce into collective momentum. Click here for conference details and registration.

This event is not simply a convening—it is a collective act of care. It is an intentional space where faculty, students, leaders, and trustees gather to share ideas, form partnerships, and lean on each other. This, too, is self-care. It is not a pause from our purpose but a strengthening of our shared responsibility to foster learning environments where all belong.

We know from our reflections on and records of past programming that MCRC has stood as a model of inter-school collaboration with decades of impact:

• Hosting local and regional student diversity conferences long before DEI had a national spotlight​

• Serving as a resource and training hub for trustees, heads, faculty, and parents​

• Advocating for inclusive curriculum and pedagogy that reflect global realities

As President of ADVIS, I want to make it unequivocally clear: Our commitment to MCRC@ADVIS, to increasing knowledge, awareness, and understanding of diverse cultures and diverse perspectives, is steadfast. This is not a temporary partnership. This is a foundational relationship rooted in our collective belief that diversity is not a risk but a resource—and that inclusion is not optional but essential.

To our schools, the invitation is simple and urgent:
Do not pause. Do not pivot away from this work. Lean in.
Attend the conference. Send your teams. Invest in training. Rekindle your school’s relationship with MCRC@ADVIS. Bring your questions, your fatigue, your curiosity, and your courage.

As bell hooks teaches us, healing is an act of communion. And so is the work of building schools where all belong. We heal, we build, and we navigate our path—together. We will continue—because the work is not done. And neither are we.