EB: Absolutely! And the symptoms of this trauma are creating a culture of fear, distrust and sadness. Black communities fear for their safety. They don’t trust figures of authority. They’re mourning a new loss every day. Although this is a natural response to the shocking, violent incidents that have occurred recently, it’s harmful to the mental health of the community and to each individual within the community. It’s important that we talk about how the Black community can heal and address the trauma that we’re experiencing. This can be hard because people don’t like discussing mental health. But addressing mental health makes us stronger and healthier as a community. We need to be strong to overcome this time of adversity. And we shall overcome it.
VM: Yes, Ms. Bush, managing this type of trauma is important for both the health and the progress of the Black community. So, I’ll say this to my fellow community members: Practice self-care. Take time to exercise, create art or spend time with loved ones. Do things that make you feel good. If being exposed to videos and news of racial violence hurts you, unplug or limit your exposure to this news. You’re entitled to peace, even in this time of chaos. Most importantly, if the news that you hear makes you angry, sad or even numb, talk to someone you can trust about the way you feel. Confronting your feelings and understanding where they come from is the first step to healing. You can talk to people in your community. In fact, sharing your feelings with other community members strengthens solidarity and can be a great comfort to them, too. But if these feelings begin to interfere with your life, you should seek the help of a mental health professional.
EB: I second that. Thanks for having this chat with me, Vianca. It did, as you said, make me feel a bit better. I’ve also contacted many Pittsburgh community leaders and activists to get their thoughts on this topic. I encourage everyone to come together in this time. Have the hard discussions, but know we’re all in this together. I look forward to talking about another important health issue next month – childhood obesity. Any questions or comments can be emailed to partners@hs.pitt.edu.
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