There are multiple upon multiple possibilities for advocacy projects for college aged African Americans. I think that something important to do would be to hear what African Americans on our campus are interested in advocating for. In talking with those that I interviewed, they also thought it would be important to get a consensus for what the community of African American students on campus think is important. We talked about advocating blindly and how it is not an effective form of advocacy and it does not really mean anything to the group you are ultimately advocating for. One of the people I interviewed thought it would be difficult for a person who was not a member of an oppressed group to come up with an advocacy project for that oppressed group, and I could definitely see what he meant. This is not to say that a person who is not a member of an oppressed group could not be an advocate, of course, but he stressed the importance of understanding what the group wanted and what the group needed before creating a project.
For this project, I would organize a presentation with a group of diverse individuals about what advocacy is and some important and maybe even famous examples of advocacy all around our country in the world. Then, once the presentation was completed, I would hope to get a meeting with hall directors of dorms to ask if I could make my presentation to the African American students in the dorms they were in charge of. I would not do this at the first of the year, I would wait until maybe October or November, to give freshmen a chance to get their footing on campus and to see what they thought the issues were that they were facing. During the presentation, I would ask what they thought was important. They would write it down and I would collect all of the answers, and after all presentations, I would compile a few main ideas (provided that there were a few important things that stood out). After gathering this information, I would hope to get a team of those African American students, and together with my presentation team, we could nail down the important advocacy issues.
I would then present several modes of advocacy and we would make a plan for to take that to action. We could host forums, talks for education, talks for debate, post fliers, or work to get information about the group into the school newspaper. Whatever the group consensus was, I would do my best to support and put the ideas into action because the ideas of importance to the oppressed community are more important than my ideas for them.
Servant Leadership Project
Something that I learned about in class this semester and something that became relevant in a couple of the interviews I did was the idea of redlining and the areas where young professional African Americans could live once they graduate college and start their careers. We talked about how hard it is for anyone to get a loan for a home right out of college, but especially for an African American person. One of the people I interviewed talked about a friend who was looking to purchase a condo and he did not know in what area of Columbus he wanted to live. His realtor did not show him any options except on the east and south sides of Columbus. None of the predominantly white areas came up in his search, no suburbs like Upper Arlington or Dublin. He expressed being disappointed with the quality of the homes where his realtor was suggesting he purchase.
I think a wonderful opportunity would be to get a group together who would work to improve the exterior appearance of homes in areas of need. People don’t want to buy homes that do not look appealing. Every 20 something young professional does not have the time to completely alter the way a home looks, or even have the want to do that. I think organizing an initiative would be a great way to get people involved and to help make a community look better and more appealing to the eye. It can be tough when you are on a budget and your realtor is only showing you homes in areas where the homes do not look nice. Everyone deserves an opportunity to live in a home that is appealing to look at – but what if the only homes you have to choose from are not?
This project would be organized with the help of those I interviewed. We would work together to decide what areas are most in need. We would work on the lawns of the homes and the landscapes. We would paint things that needed to be painted, and overall work to improve the exterior look of the homes.
Overwhelmingly, the takeaway I had from my interviews is that the African American community wants to feel supported. I have chosen this support structure as my artifact as a symbol of the support they wish to receive.
They want to feel supported in their mission toward equality. According to those I interviewed, the African American community feels like they do not have the overwhelming support from members of the White community that they wish they had. It is clear that some people will never support their march toward equality, but they essentially shared that they felt no support at all. I know that this cannot be true, that I know there are White people out there who absolutely believe in equality for all races, but I think we need to do a better job of showing that support. It does not do to sit and support in silence. I think more White people need to go out of their way to show support and solidarity with the African American community. Imagine how you feel when you have support in a decision you are making, or a project you are working on. It is nice to feel supported, and it is almost imperative for success.
I asked what they thought might help more White people show their support, and they said education. They believe that if people understood more about what they are going through, they would show more support. They would be outraged at the treatment that some African Americans face and be much more willing to support racial quality.
In an article by Geoffrey T. Wodtke, he discusses how cognitive ability relates to racism. People who are generally smarter are always more willing to learn because it is easier for them. They often enjoy learning new things and are eager to have more knowledge at every turn. The education piece then leads to being less racist and having less black prejudice. This fits in well with the thought that more education would lead to more support. People who know more and are more educated will be much more willing to show support for a topic they know more about.
Wodtke, G. T. (2016). Are smart people less racist? Verbal ability, anti-black prejudice, and the principle-policy paradox. Social Problems, 63(2), 21-45.
In my interviews, young African American males and police officers became a theme. We talked a lot about how sometimes it feels like real strides are being made by police officers and polices forces as a whole, but then another tragedy takes place and then it seems like we are actually going backwards. One step forward, two steps back. In an article by Michael L. Birzer, the African American community talked about what they thought made a good police officer. Among other things, there was a consensus that officers should be free from biases and recognize differences. Another common theme was that the officer should possess some compassion.
In one interview, I asked what would be a good symbol for the oppression of the African American community. I got the answer, “a whip.” Slave owners and their whips were then related to police brutality. It seemed as though the lack of understanding of the differences in the African American community is what this person related to police brutality, and that no matter what young African American males tried to do or say to defend themselves, the police force didn’t seem to care. This was compared to a slave owner not caring about the treatment of their slaves, and using a whip to punish slaves when it was perceived that they have misbehaved.
Birzer, M. L. (2008). What makes a good police officer? Phenomenological reflections from the African-American community. Police Practice & Research: An International Journal, 9(3), 199-212.
Trahan, D. P., Jr., & Lemberger, M. E. (2014). Critical race theory as a decisional framework for the ethical counseling of African American clients. Counseling and Values, 56(1), 112-124. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/10/1002/j.2161-007X.2014.00045.x
This is an informational article that explains and reviews Critical Race Theory as an ethical means for counseling African American clients. Research in this article talks about how counselors will encounter clients of different races than him or herself, and how those counselors must be prepared and competent to counsel the client even with cultural difference, how race is truly defined, how likely African American people are to seek out counseling, and what might bar them from doing so. Critical Race Theory is used in understanding that while much progress has been made regarding racism in the US, it is still a prominent problem in our society. It is also designed to help counselors address differences between themselves and the clients in order to create a more cohesive relationship. The article concludes with a case study in which CRT is put into place. This article is helpful in understanding CRT better and the case study is especially helpful in seeing CRT put to use before using it on your own.
Moore-Thomas, C., & Day-Vines, N. L. (2008). Culturally competent counseling for religious and spiritual African American adolescents. Professional School Counseling, 11 (3), 159-165. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/10/5330//PSC.n.2010-11.159
This article is an information piece that explains the importance of cultural competence in counseling African American adolescents, because they tend to have a higher rate of religious involvement than other cultures and races. It addresses the challenges that counselors in schools (school and school based mental health) may face in their ability to address religious concerns. The literature that the author cites in this article continually backs the claim that cultural competency around religion and spirituality is ethically necessary, and just generally necessary for effective counseling. Just as important as religion is spirituality, because of the closeness of the African American community. The author then goes on to talk about Spiritual Development Theory and its importance when counseling this population. The article does mention, again, that counselors at school may be limited, and I think that some more information and ways to safely address this topic could be helpful.
Utsey, S. O., Glesbrecht, N., Hook, J., & Stanard, P. M. (2008). Cultural, sociofamilial, and psychological resources that inhibit psychological distress in African Americans exposed to stressful life events and race-related stress. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 55(1), 49-62. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/10.1037/0022-0167.55.1.49
This article lays out a study done to test the stress and coping skills exhibited by African Americans. The study found that race-related stress was a much more prominent factor than other stressful life events, though African Americans do experience more life stress generally than White Americans. These life stressors impact mental health, because resilience is negatively correlated with psychological distress. The research in this study helps support the authors’ claim that African Americans experience race-related stress, and also that the population as a whole experience more life stresses than White Americans. The authors also use research to go on to explain coping mechanisms that are appropriate to use in counseling with the African American population. The article also provides additional coping mechanisms that deal specifically with race-related stressors. I think adding an adolescent piece to this study would be helpful for school counselors and counselors who meet with adolescent clients to understand how these same things impact younger people.
Sue, D. W., Nadal, K. L., Capodilupo, C. M., Lin, A. I., Torino, G. C., & Rivera, D. P. (2008). Racial microaggressions against black Americans: Implications for counseling. Journal of Counseling & Development, 86(3), 330-338. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/10/1002/j.1556-6678.2008.tb00517.x
This was a study done to support the claim that in counselors must work to be aware of their biases and views that might impact their lives as counselors. The literature cited in this article adds instances that could occur if white counselors are not aware of these microaggressions and biases, and also provide support to back the call to awareness of these biases. The study showed what the researchers believed to be true: that White Americans unintentionally convey messages of white supremacy to African Americans. The article goes on to examine ways that counselors can be aware of these biases so as not to inadvertently make a client feel inferior.
Day-Vines, N., Patton, J., & Baytops, J. (2003). Counseling African American Adolescents: The Impact of Race, Culture, and Middle Class Status. Professional School Counseling, 7(1), 40-51. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/42732534
This is an informational article that helps school counselors understand the stressors that impact middle class African Americans, as they may be different than the stressors that under privileged African Americans may face. Though this article is written for school counselors, I feel that it is relevant for any counselor who might be working in a school. The authors explain that while many African American people do experience social distress, poverty, poor health, and violence, that is not true for each person in the population. The literature cited in this article helps support the need for cultural competency in counseling. The article goes on to talk about how race and class intersect, how that impacts adolescents, and how it is seen in schools. It includes case studies about African American adolescents, and ends by discussing the counseling recommendations for working with African American adolescents in schools.