In light of proactively defying the lie of White superiority and Black inferiority, we must critically analyze, dissect, evaluate, and understand the system of White Supremacy (Racism) that perpetuates anti-Black sentiments, false narratives, and the manifestation of psychological distress. Racial trauma or Race-Based Traumatic Stress begets from the cumulative effects of four centuries of subjugation and relegation, marginalization, and systemic discrimination. Soul Medicine helps with confronting the source of the problem causing mental and emotional disturbances while, in turn, offering ancestral remedies ( African-centered) for the cultivation and sustainment of self-determination, dignity, worth, and validation of Black humanity.
The Condition: Emotional suppression – forcibly ignoring, concealing, and tucking away emotional experiences, resulting in the inability to allow oneself to feel, assess, process, interpret, and communicate vulnerably about the bodily sensations informing the language of feelings.
The legacy of physical and psychological slavery socialized our ancestors and descendants to subdue our voices, guard our thoughts, and curtail our speech due to fear of severe punishment of death. Today, we find ourselves fully immersed in the adaptation of emotional alienation from ourselves, our family, and our community.
Cultural Remedies:
“When Africans in the Americas and the world over choose to critically examine the ‘received’ ideas and biased perceptions of ‘reality’ imposed on them by Europeans and choose to know reality for what it is…they will have attained the keys to their liberation”. – Dr. Amos Wilson
Suicide, the Black Community, & Soul Medicine
The maxim “We are each other’s medicine” reverberates throughout the virtual atmosphere of Emotional Lunch Breaks and Emotional Emancipation Circles. How comforting it is to know that self-containment and compartmentalization are the antithesis of the healing principles of African cultural knowledge and wisdom. As African descendants and survivors of the most devastating Maafa, we are anchored by the values and principles of Ubuntu, community cooperation, spiritual connectedness, and social morality – just to name a few. Our collective power (psychological, spiritual, emotional, political, intellectual) manifests in the form of protection, and capacity building – to navigate through the perils of soul-crushing, esteem-weakening crises that invoke intense pain, suffering, shame, and distress.
As the month of Suicide Prevention and Awareness comes to an end, we must face the epidemic of suicidality within the Black community and its long-lasting health impacts on our fellow kinsmen, families, and communities. The prevalence of race-related stressors, racial discrimination, intermixed with childhood adversities, and internalized oppression (shame, hatred, etc.) increases the risk of suicidal thoughts, behaviors, and attempts. The systemic barriers related to medical and mental healthcare compound the stigma, such as insurance coverage, cost, access, availability, and quality of care. “We are each other’s medicine” becomes even more apparent and relevant when beloved family members and kinfolk are silenced by the debilitating effects of hopelessness and helplessness. Research on Black youth and Black men expresses that healthy relationships are protective factors that can reduce the intensity and severity of suicidality. Do not hesitate to inquire about the emotional state of loved ones, especially if you notice a gradual or sudden shift in their personality, character, and behavior. Our community-centeredness, rooted in love and interdependence, is the catalyst for metabolizing pain and healing wounds – collectively and communally.
Kyle Toon, CHN Masters Level Intern
