By Jana Joy — 2020
I’ve spent many hours trying to educate myself on racism, white privilege, and bigotry so that I may be able to uncover my own racist beliefs and prejudices.
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CLEAR ALL
Will the Black church become White? It sounds like a strange question. When my family watched the 2021 PBS documentary on the Black church, I noted the assumption by some of those interviewed that the Black church received its faith and theology as a part of the transatlantic slave trade.
Racism, or discrimination based on race or ethnicity, is a key contributing factor in the onset of disease. It is also responsible for increasing disparities in physical and mental health among Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).
There is no “one size fits all” language when it comes to talking about race.
So many of the little rituals I have each day—like my makeup or skincare routine—do help soothe and/or rejuvenate me. For me, any type of solo practiced routine is good. But I’ve learned that self-care does not, and cannot, sustain me. And I believe that this may be the case for many of you.
Who owns your identity, and how can old ways of thinking be replaced?
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Self and community care is critical to combating the effects of racism and intersectional violence.
In the wake of the death of George Floyd, a black man killed by police in Minneapolis, dharma teacher Larry Ward says we have to “create communities of resilience,” and offers his mantras for this time.
Trauma therapist and author of My Grandmother's Hands talks honestly and directly about the historical and current traumatic impacts of racism in the U.S., and the necessity for us all to recognize this trauma, metabolize it, work through it, and grow up out of it.
Arisika Razak shares her reflections on trauma, oppression, and healing the wounds of racism.
To the list of identities Black people in America have assumed or been asked to, we can now add, thanks to this presidential election season, “Obama’s people” and “the African Americans.”