Self-Advocacy: Learn. Model. Teach.
February 19, 2025
White and Oblivious
Reading about racism in the U.S, has taught me a lot about resilience. One – I spent most of my life clueless about how much resilience is central to living while Black in the US. Two – I have realized how important collective, or community resilience, is. Previously I shared some of my history as a white woman raised to be oblivious.
A few years ago, I decided to use a slow drip method of learning about racism and anti-racism. Rather than participate in a few events and call myself educated I decided to read a little every week. This has taught me about history and made me more aware when current events happen. Building my understanding week by week allows me to connect the dots from past to present and fill out the white-washed history I was taught as a child in school.
When it comes to racism and resilience several books, or subjects have really made an impact on me. All of them demonstrate the importance of collective resilience.
Supporting Black Businesses
My wife and I love to travel and are learning as we go. While in Missouri we visited the George Washington Carver National Monument. Knowing more about the history of slavery and sharecropping gave me the context to understand the mission of George W. Carver when he set out to teach his people to feed themselves through their farming vs only growing cash crops, which kept them dependent on market pricing. This connects to the need to support today’s Black business owners to overcome the racial wealth gap.
Healing In Community
Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, PhD is a therapist and wrote the book Sisterhood Heals for black women about the transformative power of healing in community. She talks about the need for psychological safety in the room and how group therapy, and positive communication can be so needed and helpful. Beyond learning more about life experiences of black women in community I took away the importance of having connections with people who understand the journey you are on. Dr Bradford also has a podcast: Therapy for Black Girls.
Self-Care is Political
Audre Lorde wrote in poetry and prose about racism, homophobia, healing, and strength. Some credit her as being the source of all our conversations about self-care. Not bubble baths and time off but a need to care for oneself, and one another, while living in hostile territory. “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare” (p.130 A Burst of Light and Other Essays, Audre Lourde). In her writing and interviews she talks about working together both to understand differences and to come together in collaboration. Reading her work reminds me of the importance of writing, and of reading, broadly.
George Washington Carver did, and Dr. Bradford does focus her professional efforts on supporting the Black community. Audre Lorde shares her stories allowing others to see the connections between the personal and the collective, the similarities and the differences. Writing, reading, and sharing stories are acts of resilience when used to shed light on injustice, to support community, and to provide ways to work together.
What are you writing or reading that supports your resilience? Are there Black authors or books about racism that you would recommend? Send an email to resilience@learnmodelteach.com with your suggestions.
Peace,
Laura
