When driving to his grandmother’s house in Pittsburgh 7 years ago, a man named Leon Ford was stopped by local police. “Instead of giving me a ticket, they insisted I lie about who I am. And they told me I was Lamont Ford and not Leon Ford, ”Ford, who is now a public speaker and mental health advocate based on his experience that day, told Yahoo Life. When officers tried to forcibly remove Ford from the vehicle, he drove off and asked one of the officers to jump in on the passenger side.
“And he started shooting straight away, at close range,” recalls Ford. “I was shot five times.”
I remember one of the officers kneeling by my head when I was on the ground and repeatedly telling me he hoped I would die. Leon Ford, mental health attorney
Black trauma: “started with slavery”
Ford’s experience is an example of the historic relationship between black Americans and trauma, described as white supremacy by experts like Kirstyn Nimmo, founder and chief executive of social innovation consultant GOOD WORX. “The black community in America has struggled for centuries with trauma, anxiety, and other mental health problems caused by white supremacy. That trauma started with slavery and continues to this day, ”she says.
Jeffrey Robinson, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) Trone Center for Justice and Equality, says the trauma also has constitutional roots, particularly the fugitive slave clause. “An enslaved person who has fled – he is not free. They must be returned to their owner on request. The document that founded America made black attempts at freedom unconstitutional. “
In recent years, phone recordings of black Americans killed by police officers have been shared to encourage citizens to take action against police brutality. But for many black Americans, watching videos like this can cause trauma.
“Given the reality blacks face, we need to make sure we don’t add to the trauma they experience from the reality of their lives,” said Rashid Shabazz, chief marketing and storytelling officer (CMSO) at Color of Change . “Our portrayal of how we present ourselves is important – beyond the depth we can experience or the devastation. This doesn’t mean that we erase reality, just that we show more nuances and reaffirm the need that you don’t have to see a black person die to take action. “
The story goes on
“I remember one of the officers kneeling by my head when I was on the ground and repeatedly telling me he hoped I would die,” Ford recalls. Although he was receiving medical treatment, his family members could not visit him for being “arrested” while medical professionals informed him that he could not walk because of the gunshot wounds.
What does it mean to be an ally?
Ford, Nimmo, Shabazz and Robinson are just a few of the 10 influential experts and activists and dozen of developers who participated in the first part of a Yahoo virtual series, the Yahoo Allyship Pledge, bringing together leading voices to address pressing social justice issues to discuss races in America and create actionable tools for allyship.
Allyship is a consistent and arduous practice of unlearning and reassessing in which a person who possesses privileges and power actively seeks to be anti-racist and end the oppression in solidarity with those who are systemically marginalized. Key components of allyship include: recognizing the reality of racial trauma and the experiences that cause it, as well as understanding how this leads to inequalities and inequalities that affect black Americans. Another key component is self-education on the subject.
PTSD and Psychotherapy for Black Americans
Ford survived being shot five times, but it left him paralyzed from the chest down. He now devotes his life to public speaking about his history and advocacy for mental health. He says he witnessed the effects of PTSD in his community, indoctrinating members who entered the cycle of armed violence.
“Growing up black in America, you need therapy. I have several friends who have older brothers who were shot, who had siblings who died … The usual thing is that no one has seen a therapist, ”says Ford.
Experts say dealing with trauma is important – not just for adult family members and the wider community, but for children as well.
“Children have so much trauma in their bodies,” says Nicole Cardoza, social entrepreneur, investor and founder of the Anti-Racism Daily newsletter. “And it’s really difficult to process a trauma for anyone, for any soul, if you can’t understand it. So if we don’t talk to children about things like racism and they experience difficult emotions, it actually robs them of their ability to heal. “
Leon Ford Jr., shot and paralyzed by Pittsburgh police, spoke in a wheelchair at a rally on the stairs of the Allegheny County Courthouse following a fatal shootout on Antwon Rose by an East Pittsburgh police officer on June 21, 2018 in Pittsburgh. (Getty Images)
“We have more people behind bars than we have at the highest levels of slavery,” she says.
“Not only that,” adds Jamira Burley, campaigner and youth engagement and literacy leader for the Global Business Coalition for Education, “for an industrialized country we have more people in jail than any single ally in the world.”
For many black Americans, experiences like Ford’s are commonly narrated and shared among members of the community. According to Burley, the crux of the problem is that the criminal justice system is “essentially being forced into labor camps” instead of learning to focus on rehabilitation and mental health programs to get them back into their communities.
Go forward
That year, the world erupted in protests calling for change after a video was released of George Floyd being killed by police. Videos like this can get people to act, but Fredrick Joseph, author of The Black Friend, On Being a Better White Person, says there are other powerful ways to do it.
“What resources are needed for the situation? Okay, George Floyd was murdered. Share the names of the cops and let them know who people can call, ”he says. “Share the names of the people who were involved in Breonna Taylor’s case because she still has no justice … That’s the conversation – not, ‘Oh, hey, check out another video that this person is in being killed. ‘”
Robinson asked people to study the history of policing in government documents so that individuals can learn the truth for themselves. “I think the key to where we are now is that we have the ability to see the truth, to look at a story without anyone else interpreting it,” he says. “Because everyone has access to so much information. And all of these facts are contained in government documents and historical societies. The story I am talking about may not be known to people. It may be hidden, but it is hidden within sight. “
CONTINUE READING:
Resources to Learn More About Allies and Racial Trauma:
ALLYSHIP QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT RACIAL TRAUMA:
If you watch widespread videos of law enforcement violence inflicted on black victims:
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How does watching these videos affect you?
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Is there still a need for full sharing of these videos to encourage change?
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After these events, what resources can you share to support action?
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How can we take steps to ensure that the black community receives adequate mental health support?
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