Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping

Reflections from the Guest Editors: Practicing While Black

Patricia Antoinette Gray — 2024-11-05

This final Special Issue of the trilogy in Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping on racial justice and anti-racism demonstrates that “practicing while Black” remains a critical issue today. In this Editorial Letter, we reflect on the harsh realities of micro-aggression, invisibility, racial diminishment, or exclusion in one’s daily existence, regardless of educational or employability status.

“White” or Wrong: Reflections on the Impact of Unyielding Whiteness on the Overall Well-Being of Black Practitioners

Shelton Young — 2024-11-05

Practicing while Black is similar to driving while Black; what should be routine becomes a minefield and every day is filled with uncertainties. For Black practitioners, navigating unyielding Whiteness in the professional environment is not only costly but also often continuously compromises Black practitioners’ well-being. This paper reflects Young’s experiences as a Black male licensed clinical social worker and the challenges encountered in navigating a practice environment led by White female clinicians during the convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, demanding an end to ongoing police brutality and racial injustice against Black people. We provide recommendations for both Black practitioners and organizations committed to providing working environments that affirm and ensure racial justice.

Foot on Our Necks: The Needs of Black Clinicians in Times of Racial Inequity

Jennifer Shepard Payne — 2024-11-05

Being a mental health clinician while Black in America is a serious situation. In this reflection, 103 Black clinicians and I, the author, discuss their needs as clinicians of color in these unprecedented times. Given the difficult task to stay professionally present for clients while simultaneously experiencing the same racial trauma that their clients experience, these clinicians discuss the need for a safe space to collectively heal one another as they practice while Black.

Do You See Me? The Compounding Impact COVID-19, Racial Injustice, and White Clients Had on a Black Therapist

Jamie Perry Ingram — 2024-11-05

The compounding effects of the COVID-19 pandemic alongside racial unrest in 2020 created an unrelenting need for scholarly analysis of the internal and external impact these experiences had on my life. My daily struggles of being a Black woman in America intensified during these unprecedented societal shifts which impacted my experience as a Black mental health clinician in a predominantly white workspace. This scholarly personal narrative conceptualizes these historical events, examined through the lens of Critical Race Theory. The two vignettes provided are lived experiences and illustrate the ways in which white privilege intersects with prolonged racial unrest—compounded by the deleterious effects of COVID-19 on Black clinicians. This scholarly analysis highlights the negative impact that racial injuries can have on Black clinicians who lack protection from repeated racial offenses. Recommendations for critical self-care practices and implications for future research are provided.

Practicing While Black: Responding to Everyday Racism in 2020 During Multiple Pandemics

Reshawna Chapple — 2024-11-05

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.

The Academic Resiliency of This Black Man

Stefan Battle — 2024-11-05

This autobiographical narrative reflects challenges I have faced, throughlines I have identified, and insights I have drawn and can share from my experience as the first Black male chair of the social work department in a predominantly White postsecondary context. This reflection offers a historical profile of my lived experiences with occurrences and patterns of interpersonal racism that have shaped and intersected with my goals, duties, and responsibilities as an administrative leader and department chair. I share and unpack these details here to provide context and support to scholars and academic leaders of color still to come.

Teaching While Black: My Journey from the Caribbean to Teaching in White Canada’s Blackest City

Petra Roberts — 2024-11-05

This narrative traces my travels from an Afro-Trinidadian upbringing to coming to white-dominant Canada where I became a social worker for 20 years. It follows my struggles to confront racism and become a teacher in institutionally white universities. It culminates in my challenges and successes in finding a space to thrive, both inside and outside the classroom, at a university in Canada’s largest and Blackest city.

Delegitimizing Blackness in Human Services

Christene A. Tucker — 2024-11-05

Delegitimizing Blackness is an attempt to remove one’s power or authority. Our reflections within this article discuss the various attempts to remove one’s legitimation and power. The power of oneself to own his/her story, the power of children and families to understand their needs, and the power of managing and confidently stepping into one’s own Blackness are discussed. Reflecting on navigating this process within human services with three social work professionals with over 30 years of experience, cumulatively, is highlighted. Our Blackness often compounds our experiences either due to unjust policies, micro-aggressive interpersonal relationships, or unprofessional/inadequate leadership experiences. The cumulative journey of these reflections will be discussed, along with implications for practice.

Nurturing the Soul: The Experiences of Three Black Practitioners in an Afrocentric Academy

Patricia Antionette Gray — 2024-11-05

Amid today’s racialized, radicalized, and polarized environment, Black professionals face unprecedented challenges in responding to the diverse needs of the Black community. This manuscript delves into our experiences as three Black practitioners who participated in a year-long program to become equipped with the necessary tools, knowledge, and understanding to enhance our practice while navigating the complexities of being Black. The program, rooted in Afrocentric principles, provided a space for reflection, replenishment, and transformation. We explore the program’s impact on our professional journeys through personal narratives, emphasizing the importance of cultural grounding and community-focused interventions. The reflections shed light on the need for specialized training for Black practitioners, addressing the gaps in traditional social work education. The manuscript advocates integrating Afrocentric perspectives in professional training to empower Black professionals in meeting the unique challenges faced by the communities we serve.