Practicing While Black: Responding to Everyday Racism in 2020 During Multiple Pandemics
Keywords:
Black women, social workers, COVID-19, intersectionality, racism, self-careAbstract
The role of a social worker is inherently challenging, especially during times of crisis, and it becomes particularly triggering for Black female social workers when the crisis is intertwined with racial issues. Amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic’s peak, a viral video depicting the police murder of George Floyd exposed America’s deep-seated racism. This period saw both Black and white Americans grappling with the dual crises of health and race, leading many to seek support from Black therapists. Utilizing an autobiographical feminist standpoint epistemology (Harding, 2001), four Black female social workers’ stories are examined. Our narratives reveal the complexities of navigating multiple pandemics—racial turmoil, COVID-19, global lockdowns, economic uncertainty, political divisiveness, and the aftermath of former president Trump’s election refusal, marked by the Capitol insurrection. Our accounts also explore the countertransference experienced in cross-racial and intra-racial therapeutic dynamics, emphasizing the unique significance of self-care for Black practitioners during tumultuous times.
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