Celebrating Black History Month

All month long I plan to educate my clients (as part of their curriculum) about various African American role models and  issues of race that still occur in the 21st Century. Part of the education may simply be a poem or a short story that I read at opening/check-in and have them discuss it. I also plan to incorporate some information about racism, stigma, and prejudice as part of their rehabilitation. Recovery includes integration back into the community that once shunned you or you withdrew from because of substance use; an interesting comparison.

Some of the material I discuss with them will be shared here. I think it's important to understand the basis of racism and how it still, so often, seeps into our world view. Many confuse racism with just nasty words, or not liking a person based on the color of their skin, their culture, heritage and so forth. In my opinion, racism is also ignorance to individual differences in people; ignorance to privilege. Ignoring and not discussing issues of race does not negate a person from perpetuating racism. Some of the discussions I hope to have here may be difficult and compel readers to dig deep into their own biases. Never-the-less, it's a necessary conversation.

*Note to my readers: I do not, under any circumstances, condone using the "N" word. It is a hateful word used to segregate and degrade. I will, however, discuss the "career" of such a hateful word in a later post. But as a preview- believe it or not, so suggest that when used by blacks, the word loses its power- an interesting discussion for later this month, so stay tuned.

Here is a poem, which profoundly affects me every time I read it; it truly breaks my heart.

The Incident (1925)

Once riding in old Baltimore,
Heart-filled, head-filled with glee,
I saw a Baltimorean
Keep looking straight at me.

Now I was eight and very small,
And he was no whit bigger,
And so I smiled, but he poked out
His tongue, and called me, "Nigger."

I saw the whole of Baltimore
From May until December;
Of all the things that happened there
That's all that I remember.

-Countee Cullen