The year 2020 has made it clear that systemic racism continues to plague the United States. Unarmed Black folks are more frequently the targets of violence (often at the hands of the police) and are less likely to have their perpetrators criminally charged. We stand in solidarity with those who are feeling anger, grief, fear, and concern about our nation in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbury, all those who came before them, and all those who have come after. We continue to have faith in the goodness found in our humanity and are working within our local communities to make things safer and more equitable for everyone. Social advocacy can be an avenue for empowering individuals and communities. Below are a few of the resources we offer at the Counseling Center to support Black students as well as a few other resources that provide good advice and hope for these troubling times.
Counseling Center: Black Men’s and Women of Color Therapy Groups
Counseling Center: Sit with Sankofa
Counseling Center Brochure: Race-Related Stress
Counseling Center Brochure: Being Assertive in a Multicultural World
University of Illinois Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center
University of Illinois Diversity and Social Justice Education
Emotionally Restorative Self-Care for People of Color (video)
Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective
Healing in Action: A Toolkit for Black Lives
Radical Self-Care in the Face of Mounting Racial Stress
Self-Care for People of Color After a Racial Trauma
Resources for Allyship:
How White People Can be Better Allies to the Black Community