Thriving in The New Normal

So right now we are going through some turblent times in the United States. It started a couple of months ago with the COVID 19 (The Rhona), spreading around the country and the world. This pandemic has specifically hit the African American population hard with high rates of infection and death. From my perspective this is no surprise as our community has long been disproportionately impacted with chronic health care conditions and medical needs. Most of this can be directly linked to the racial discrimination and oppression that we have suffered in this country. Due to the systematic racism there is inequity in the distribution of health care services and medical care for people of color. We also tend to live in poorer communities where it can be difficult to get good quality produce and other necessities that would help us lead more healthy lifestyles.

The other pressing issue facing our nation right now is the Black Lives Matter Movement(BLM) which advocates for the rights of black Americans to be treated equally and fairly with a focus on the unjust criminal justice system and police brutality. This is not a new phenomenon. This has plagued the black community for generations. Many of these unjust acts have even been videotaped/recorded and there has still been no justice served for our community. I grew up with parents that came of age as young adults in the civil rights era and can remember the stories they told about “whites only” services and separate entrances. We don’t have those same issues today but we continue to live in a country that is skewed toward White Privilege. The first public incident I can recall in my generation was the Rodney King incident. I was a senior in high school in April of 1992 when the verdict was handed down and officers were acquitted of the brutal beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles, CA which sparked the LA Riots. There have been many incidents since that time. These incidents prompted the creation of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Here in St. Louis (Ferguson) there was the Mike Brown Jr incident and acquittal of the officer involved in 2014. It seems that time and time again we must face the harsh reality that our black lives are not valued. The anger, rage, frustration and sadness continue to make our existence here in this country feel like an uphill battle. We are fighting for our rights to live without fear in a country that our ancestors were forced to build that continues to governed by White Privilege. The most recent incident that is drawing attention worldwide is the incident of George Floyd in Minnesota. Mr. Floyd died with a police officer’s knee being held on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. The recorded images of this incident have sparked outrage and protests around the world.

As a mental health professional both of these pandemics are of great concern to me and impact my work and my clients. My background is in social work and public policy. Both my undergrad and graduate degrees are in social work (BSW, MSW) and I am also licensed as a clinical social worker (LCSW) in the state of Missouri. This license qualifies me to diagnose and treat mental health disorders as a psychotherapist. As a social worker I went into this field to change the world with a focus on racial disparities and injustice. Later returning to school for a PhD in Public Policy Analysis and Administrative, after working many years in the field. I pursued this degree searching for more knowledge and looking ways to be more effective in policy making efforts and being a change agent. After over twenty years in the field, I now work in private practice assisting my clients in navigating through their life journey. I focus on self empowerment with women, focusing on issues of self-esteem, relationships, stress management and work life balance. Currently COVID 19 and BLM are impacting everyone and both issues have been at the forefront of many of my counseling sessions for the last few weeks. I feel that it is also imperative to speak out and advocate for my community on a larger scale.

I recently took part as a speaker in a global virtual conference called Sister Friend Empowerment Expo presented by Reform Inc. REFORM, located in Pine Bluff Arkansas. Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 non profit organization whose purpose is to empower transitional independent aged youth and young adults from 10-24 to become leaders. I was able to participate in a panel discussion and complete an individual presentation each day.

As we continue to move forward and thrive in the new normal we are continuing to adjust to things like wearing face masks and social distancing. Different phases of reopening the country are being put in place and we are already seeing a resurgence in infection rates in some places. So it remains to be see how long these practices will need to stay in place.

There are many things happening with BLM including companies sending out mass emails indicating that they support the black community and the movement. Additionally some companies are making changes in product names and images indicating it is a way of progression away from historically racist stereotypes and representation. We are also seeing symbols of the American Confederacy being eradicated with statues and other symbols being removed. Locally, a Chris Columbus statue was recently removed from a local park and there is advocacy to have a well traveled street in St. Louis County be renamed as it was named after native Walter Dorsett, a slave owner. It is great to see changes being made but it remains to be see if these actions are rooted in true progressive change and how much of it will eventually equate to political agenda setting and media propaganda. I am not quite sure that the American government and business world have a true grasp of the real issues and what we are fighting for.

It’s 2020 and we are still trying to overcome. Still seeking the freedom our ancestors longed for. The fight for equity and equality continues. I hope that this new normal will bring about fruitful and progressive change. In the past couple of months people have been forced to remain still and really take a good look at themselves and how this country operates. Let’s hope that this momentum continues and we are not sidetracked by trivial superficial change and corporate America attempting to ensure profit with no real commitment to change.