May 11, 2021
In this week's episode, we continue to discuss how the Chauvin verdict and events surrounding it impact our work...and also how it impacts us personally. With our very FIRST guest host, Dr. Holly! She specializes in working with Black professional women who experience microaggressions in their workplace.
Today we talk about our suggestions and perspectives on what needs to be done in order for us to heal.
Key takeaways from this episode:
1) Dr. Holly argues that this is not our fight. How does racism become the responsibility of the victim? Sometimes it may seem easier to march than to spend your dollars towards helping the Black economy.
2) White people need to understand why violence has such a strong history in their culture from the crusades to colonialism to the genocide in the Americas and slavery. What is in the culture that presumes risk and acts out in violence pre-emptively? This deep psychological piece needs to be explored and better understood.
3) You can't really call yourself an ally until you know who you are. Our own deep inner work needs to be done to understand where we lie on the spectrum of racial identity development. Most Black and Brown folks know this simply because of our position in the world. White people need to do this as well. Tonika's one tip today for white folks is to slow down and first figure out who you are. "Get it together".
4) People are so often operating from a place of fear and rage. Protests are one place we can put those feelings. Though it's hard to do that from Costa Rica for Frantczes ;). But the harder work is to heal ourselves. Don't just run to do something, charged by white guilt. Look in the mirror and explore the feelings coming up inside of you.
5) Dr. Holly's one piece of advice today is that Black and Brown folks need to take our ass to therapy. "Just fucking get a therapist." We've experienced so much trauma and we need to work through it. And white people really need to be taught about white privilege in elementary school so that it can breed empathy.
6) Black and Brown folks know why we're scared...but why are white people scared? Most Black and Brown folks don't hate white people. We just want to be left the fuck alone so we can be great. If we really wanted to kill folks or have revenge, people like George Zimmerman wouldn't still be alive.
7) Tonika reminds us that there needs to be love amongst groups of color. We need to band together and work together. We can't be in silos.
8) It's hard for us to love on each other collectively if we can't love on ourselves. People who love themselves don't bring pain to other people.
Today's conversation could have gone on for much longer, there's so much to talk about on this topic. Thank you Dr. Holly for joining us in this powerful conversation today.
For questions and share outs and further discussion please contact us at therapistsarepeopletoo@gmail.com.
Until next time, remember to live, laugh, love, and keep it
real.
-Frantzces, Sabeen, Tonika and Dr. Holly :)
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