Mental Health Monday: Survival of the Fittest

Understanding Grief and Loss

We are collectively experiencing grief and loss whether you have personally or indirectly been affected by the loss of a beloved one, employment, health, and the pandemic of racism. Check out the video to understand what you are experiencing holistically and some coping tools.

Much love, prayers, healing, and light to you.

www.browngirlfromboston.com

A Black Girl From Mattapan

When I tell people I am from Boston, people usually look puzzled because I am a Black Woman. When people think about Boston they usually think about the Kennedy's (who are actually from Brookline, a city outside of Boston), Irish people, eccentric but strong accents, The Boston Tea Party, Cold and Harsh Winters, Professional Sports and racism and liberalism.  Many are unfamiliar with the beautiful,  ugly and dark history and ongoing struggles of Black Bostonians. 

Here are some truth bombs about Boston:

• Black People indigenous to Boston or Southern Blacks who migrated to Boston are only worth $8 .  Boston was one of the last major cities to integrate the beloved Boston Red Sox.
• Bill Russell caught hell playing for the Boston Celtics despite being one of the winningest Basketball players and coaches of all time
• Boston busing and desegregation of schools occurred from 1974 to 1988 
• Introducing METCO: Busing to White Cities and Towns 
• The police brutality/slave patrol from the 1st African slave arriving in Boston to Charles Stewart lying on an entire community of Black Men of the Mission Hill Projects to having two Bostons (White Boston exist and the other Boston where Black folks, Hispanics, and Asians live) 
• Police Relations and Racism in the Black Boston Community

Since we are living in perilous times in which people are trying to wrap their minds around racism, systemic racism, and policies. I decided to share a glimpse of my reality as a Black Bostonian and my journey to why it is important to share your reality and story to educate, advocate, and liberate others to do the same. 

As I look back on this photo above, I realized how White flight and racism was alive in the 80s but in a covert way. Growing up in Mattapan, a neighborhood that was occupied by Jewish folks that slowly transitioned to Southern Blacks and Caribbeans occupying the neighborhood. I got to experience, firsthand of White Flight within my neighborhood and Elementary School.  I remember the three White students who I attended elementary school with participated in White flight by either relocating to White areas in Massachusetts or attended exclusive private schools.

 

As a child/grandchild/great-granddaughter of sharecroppers and slaves from Atmore, Alabama. My parents migrated to Boston, MA for “better” opportunities, escaping lynching, racism, redlining, and oppression. Come to find out they faced covert racism, job discrimination, and a slew of other systemic and institutionalized racist policies. Being Native/ADOS (indigenous to America due to slavery) Black in America whose ancestors built this country for free, no one should be telling us how to feel, grieve, and navigate this interesting and surreal experience. From Slavery to Sharecropping to Jim Crow to Covert Racism to Social Worker to Professorship my duty and life mission are to continue to educated, enlightened, and advocate for Native Black women, men, and children. Why have all this knowledge and not done anything collective with it?

I don’t understand why people are shocked about the system of White Supremacy, segregated schools in 2020, lack of accessibility of resources to the Black Community, redlining, the vicious cycle of poverty, food, and medical apartheid, violence, broken political system and more. Nothing truly changed since my parents graduated from Escambia Training High School in 1969 and 1970. Things are progressively turning for the worse for Black people. This pandemic truly showed us how it can devastate an entire community collectively due to our ongoing mental, physical, and spiritual stress. Lack of wealth, quality of health care, and the infant mortality birth rate. If we collective sit back and allow individualist gatekeepers to hoard all the resources and dictate our faith, we are truly doomed. 

Share your thoughts on how we can advocate for tangible results? What resources do we need to access or create? Share your thoughts, experiences, and opinions in the comment section. 

Diversity Chat between Andrea Imafidon and Dr. Rochelle Newton

Protecting Your Peace

How are you protecting your peace? Check out the video with Brown Girl From Boston and Let's Talk.

How to Create an Exit Plan From Your 9-5

My girl Marquita and I discussed how to create an exit plan from your current toxic workplace, dealing with micro-aggressions on the job, creating healthy boundaries, and more workplace tips and hacks! Follow us on IG: Marquita @theladymarquita Andrea @browngirlfromboston Blog|Coaching: www.browngirlfromboston.com The Careerist Project: www.careeristproject.com

TCP: Surviving Sisterhood

ANALYTICS

EDIT VIDEO

By a show of hand or slow head nod, how many of you have been hurt by someone you called “Sis”? How many of you struggle to move past the disappointment, pain, drama, and trauma of that sisterhood? If you have answered yes to these questions, let's chat! Many of us have been hurt by someone or a tribe of women whom we shared secrets, laughs, ugly cries, and life-changing moments with. Many times we are blinded by the red flags, hateful, and toxic behavior masked by jokes, slander, lies, and gossip. Sisterhood isn’t always Instagram pics at brunch drinking endless mimosas. Sisterhood is a sacred sister circle, rites of passage of Black womanhood, a safe space to lay your burdens down about personal and professional issues, and not worrying about judgment or having your business in the streets. But that’s not always the case! Sometimes sisterhood is painful, connections of women that are used to achieve goals and plans or to project statuses of success or the upper class. In this open and safe space, we are going to discuss the tough topic of surviving sisterhood.

Recognizing the “red flags” of those you call “Sis”

Surviving and healing from the abusive and toxic sisterhood

Protecting yourself and understand the grief process when you end a toxic relationship

Finding a sisterhood that is in alignment with your values, beliefs, and authentic self

Creating healthy boundaries and understanding why reciprocal energy is essential for a healthy sisterhood to thrive and impact positively others

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