In the ongoing battle against systemic injustice grassroots leaders and social justice professionals are often at the forefront, tirelessly advocating for change. However, amidst the fight for equity and well-being, it’s crucial to emphasize mental health this May and every month for recovery and healing.
Communities of color continue to be disproportionately affected by the devastating impacts of unjust systems. Our collective trauma permeates through generations, manifesting in individual, social, and historical layers of pain. At its core, justice must encompass the holistic well-being of all individuals involved, for those who have experienced harm and those who have caused harm. By centering healing and restoration in our pursuit of justice, we can create pathways toward true reconciliation and transformation.
We show up for our children, our elders, our families, and our friends filled with the power and passion needed to confront the difficulties of enacting change. To bear the losses, to forge on for the victories, and to seize the opportunities and get in good trouble. By prioritizing our mental health, we strengthen our capacity to enact meaningful change while safeguarding our well-being, leaning on one another for support, and sharing our stories and experiences all while taking the crucial steps towards our collective healing and resilience.
As the director of the Healing Justice Program, I too am often reminded by my colleagues of the need to pause and regroup. My village always reminds me of the need for my care and rest and with that nudge, I retreat. I often seek renewal near water. Water’s healing power almost has a transfixed hold on me. I often feel the urge to find it and seek solace within it, when recalibration is needed. The mystery is I’m not sure what lures me to it. I just need it so I go. For me, there is no specific location, where I land is where I need to be. The sound of the ocean calms me, the stillness of the lakes center me, and the ripples of the rivers ignite me. My mental care flows with the rhythm of the waves and the cleansing aroma in the air. This rhythm speaks to my worries, my pain, and my stressors. I can release or I can reflect. I can escape or I can find resolve as I seek guidance with a peaceful mind. From that peaceful state, I can find the energy to continue showing up to the work of changing systems and sustaining other healers and organizers.
As we stand together for one another collectively we must continue to nurture the core of our movement…our people. Recently, in Mecklenburg, NC, a room full of healers explored the benefits of essential oils, sharing their remedies that have been passed on through their lineage, like the power of lemongrass that helps with pain or swelling to ease the long days and nights working tirelessly for the community they love. Others shared the nostalgic memories of a hot cup of chamomile tea that aids in sleepless nights but rekindles memories of a mother’s love as she pours a hot cup of chamomile tea to make us feel better and to rest. We all have those people and experiences in our lives that have helped us to slow down, settle our systems, find a home and connection and heal with each other. It’s important to find those small things – maybe a place, maybe a person, maybe some herbs or oils or a spiritual practice – that help us feel more whole, and to pass on that knowledge collectively to support our people.
it’s imperative that we acknowledge and process the grief and trauma that accompany our work. The perpetual cycle of witnessing injustices, advocating for change, and confronting systemic biases can be emotionally, mentally, and physically taxing, emphasizing the need for intentional self-care and communal support. We must always allow ourselves the space to grieve, to feel, and to heal. And when we step in for others to do the same we pull from our very essence to nurture our own. Through shared tears we hold their hands, in loss, we embrace them through their pain, in solidarity we activate when harmed.
Our communal care fosters environments that promote open dialogue, empathy, appreciation, and understanding of our diverse perspectives and common adversities. Each of those is essential to the soil from which we can generate the systems of care, repair, and safety that our communities need.
As we commit ourselves to our advocacy and our communities, We must not overlook the importance of nurturing our mental health and fostering spaces of healing and support. By coming together, sharing our experiences, and prioritizing self-care, we support our village and continue to pour into our collective mental care. And in these moments let us not forget about our own place of refuge, either by the water or in a cup of tea, words scribbled in a journal or tapping our feet to our favorite beat. This May, let us commit to paying attention to our mental care as we prioritize our peace individually so we can care for our village collectively.
