Melanated (Mar 2022)

Melanated

March Musings

Follow the example of the blooming flowers and the singing birds now Poke your head out of the damp, dark soil and keep climbing towards the speckled sky. Let the sunshine onto your skin as it bursts through rainclouds.

Here at Melanated, we ’ re thinking about newness, vitality, and healing March gave us confusing weather, midterms, and even more COVID cases It reminded us of the violence and danger inherent in white supremacy and war Many of us are angry and fearful, maybe lacking hope

In a time when hope can be hard to come by, Melanated invites our readers to look inwards for inspiration and peace

Let’ s celebrate every breath, every heartbeat, for what it is: survival, resilience, against all odds We honor those who have passed by celebrating life and the healing that keeps us alive. Since there’ s no way to know what will happen tomorrow, let’ s lean into our adaptability and nurture our bodies as they bear us through history.

Sending you love and light

Spotlight: Marcella J. Tillett (She/Her)

BY CHANTEL PLUMMER (SHE/HER)

League institution and how that would ease my movement through the professional world. I underestimated how challenging the movement through the university would be but the market power of an Ivy League education was attractive

As an alum, I returned as a Field Instructor I wanted to participate in the education of social work students because (1) mentorship and giving back is important to me (2) there is a level of gatekeeping particularly when it comes to people coming out of Ivy League institutions or any social work program to come and work in Black and Brown communities I want to make sure that when you go out into the field you are prepared to work in a way that isn’t causing harm and is in partnership and in service to the community After field instruction, I was invited to become an Adjunct Professor, so there is a cyclical relationship that is pretty cool.

Marcella J Tillett is Vice President of Programs & Partnerships at Brooklyn Community Foundation Marcella is also a current Adjunct Professor at CSSW, teaching the Decolonizing Social Work course

Why Columbia? As a student, I was in the BSW program at Clark Atlanta University where continued advanced learning was emphasized I always knew that I was going to grad school and I searched for the best programs in NYC The Clark Atlanta program uses an Afrocentric perspective in their educational curriculum which is very specific and I thought that Columbia’ s program would be an interesting complement to that I have conflicting feelings about this, but I can ’t discount the prestige of being at an Ivy

What has been most rewarding for you as an educator? Mentorship and coaching is something that keeps me coming back With the relationships I’ m able to build with students, I’ m always honored by how students open up. There’ s a vulnerability that comes into play when you ’ re a student and should come into play as an instructor as well Particularly, with the Decolonizing Social Work course, it is so deeply personal that there has to be a foundation of trust within the group and with the instructor. When I’ m able to enter into those trusting relationships with students, I’ m walking beside them but pushing them forward to expand their bounds of learning and put a critical lens on their lived experience and how that impacts their practice. I get to be reassured by these emerging social work professionals who are my students and soon to be my colleagues

PHOTOCREDIT: Anna and Jordan Rathkopf/ www rathkopf com

How has your professional experience contributed to the ways you impart knowledge amongst students? It is important that instructors have not just theoretical knowledge of what they teach so I try to bring my practice experiences into the classroom as much as possible I also engage with the practice experiences that are already in the class Our social work students are not clean slates. They have their own lived experiences, they have different interactions with the social work/social service world either as a recipient, as a provider in their own right, as a professional I respect and engage with those experiences that are present while bringing in my own practice experience

What do you see as your next steps in the field? I am not sure I landed on social work because it gives you an extensive skill set where you can continue to use the skills and expertise that you have developed Throughout my social work career, I held a variety of positions which is enriching I stay open, and that openness has served me well.

Any advice for an incoming Black student? Find the Action Lab, find the Melanated newsletter. The amount of resources that are out there for Black students, I wish they were here for me in 2002 I really needed them Coming from an HBCU to a PWI, especially Columbia, was shocking When you find your people and start building your community, really use that community Contributing to the other Black students, students of color, and like-minded students who behave as allies is really important. But for Black students, I think it is important to be with other Black students. You could be

gaslit everywhere you go but you need another Black student to acknowledge that your experience is valid and true Be able to build that network of support I would also invite students to take my Decolonizing Social Work Practice class

Advice for Black professors? A lot of Black professors at Columbia I know do this in a beautiful way – that is to bring your full self (in the ways that you can handle) into the teaching experience

I would say it’ s our responsibility to advocate for our students, speak truth to power, and to push within the institution for things that need to be reformed, changed, and introduced to support Black students and really all of our students

FUN FACTS

Hometown: Buffalo, NY

Zodiac: Capricorn

Power Word: Discernment

Favorite Pastimes: Outdoor cycling, running, crocheting/knitting

Next Vacation Spot: South Africa

Book Recommendation: Octavia’ s Brood

Favorite Author: Toni Morrison (highly recommends Morrison’ s self-narrated audiobook)

Currently watching: Bel-Air

Favorite artist: Mereba

Favorite quote/adage: "This too shall pass"

I think Black professors have the responsibility to bring along and wrap their arms around Black students.

What's Happening in the Lab

BY SEYI SEGUN (SHE/HER)

Columbia University student! As long as you are committed to the National Association of Black Social Workers Codes of Ethics, we would love for you to join the team Please click here for information on each role! You must register here and come prepared with a speech More details are forthcoming!

Melanated Seeks New Members

Melanated is currently looking for 1-2 new members for a coveted spot on its editorial team What does being part of this team look like? You will have the opportunity to learn about many aspects of the Columbia Community, demonstrate your artistic prowess, and publish clips for any future endeavors The time commitment will be 10 hrs/month. To learn more about joining Melanated, please email the team at swactionforblacklives@columbia.edu.

Digital Wellness with ABL

And, we're back at it again. The Action for Black Lives Initiative invites you to a virtual wellness experience facilitated by Dr. Zuleka Henderson Dr Henderson is the founder and director of The Center for Black Wellness Dr Henderson has extensive experience in trauma and is a licensed social worker based in New York City. We are very fortunate to have Dr. Henderson and know this event will not disappoint! Please click here to register for the event!

Join the Association of Black Social Workers - Columbia University Chapter

This is your personal invitation to join ABSW-CU! If you are interested in joining the chapter and/or assuming a leadership position, the chapter would love to speak with you Elections for the coming school year will be on April 13th, from 1-2:15 PM ET. All positions are open to any current

March 2022 Debrief

On March 10th, 2022, the Action Lab hosted its Spring open house. We had the opportunity to meet so many new faces (CSSW and other Columbia schools)! Throughout the event, the breakout rooms buzzed with conversations concerning potential pursuits for the lab. Thank you to all who came out If you missed the open house and want to connect, please message Aaron Kim, the Action Lab Coordinator, at ajk2210@columbia.edu.

On March 11th, 2022, the Action for Black Lives Initiative hosted part one of its ABL Forum Series In installment one, JMAC for Families and NYCLU spoke about their "Know Your Rights" community campaign, which aims to educate parents about their rights and resources when interacting with child protective services (CPS/ACS).

Uplifting Black Artists: Assétou Xango

Give Your Daughters Difficult Names

Assétou Xango | Black poet

Many of my contemporaries, role models, But especially, Ancestors

Have a name that brings the tongue to worship. Names that feel like ritual in your mouth. I don’t want a name said without pause, muttered without intention

I am through with names that leave me unmoved

Names that leave the speaker’ s mouth unscathed

I want a name like fire, like rebellion, like my hand griping massa ’ s whip

I want a name from before the ships

A name Donald Trump might choke on.

I want a name that catches you in the throat if you say it wrong and if you ’ re afraid to say it wrong, then I guess you should be

I want a name only the brave can say a name that only fits right in the mouth of those who love me right, because only the brave can love me right

Assétou Xango is the name you take when you are tired of burying your jewels under thick layers of soot and self-doubt

Assétou the light

Xango the pickaxe so that people must mine your soul just to get your attention.

If you have to ask why I changed my name, it is already too far beyond your comprehension. Call me callous, but with a name like Xango

I cannot afford to tread lightly

You go hard or you go home and I am centuries and ships away from any semblance of a homeland.

I am a thief’ s poor bookkeeping skills way from any source of ancestry.

I am blindly collecting the shattered pieces of a continent much larger than my comprehension.

I hate explaining my name to people: their eyes peering over my journal looking for a history they can rewrite

Ask me what my name means...

What the fuck does your name mean Linda?

Not every word needs an English equivalent in order to have significance

I am done folding myself up to fit your stereotype

Your black friend

Your headline.

Your African Queen Meme

Your hurt feelings

Your desire to learn the rhetoric of solidarity without the practice.

I do not have time to carry your allyship

I am trying to build a continent, A country, A home

My name is the only thing I have that is unassimilated and I’ m not even sure I can call it mine. The body is a safeless place if you do not know its name

Assétou is what it sounds like when you are trying to bend a syllable into a home

With shaky shudders

And wind whistling through your empty, I feel empty

There is no safety in a name

No home in a body.

A name is honestly just a name

A name is honestly just a ritual

And it still sounds like reverence

Artistic Highl Tshabalala

Zandile Tshabalala i and raised in Sowet is currently complet University of the Wit Johannesburg. Tsha primarily with acryli well as some sculptu create captivating a portraits

Tshabalala reimagin

Black women in the art world, engaging color and landscapes to capture the sensuality and beauty of Black women

In an interview, Tshabalala inquires, "Why is it that every time there is a Black woman and a white woman present [in a painting], the white woman will be used to represent beauty but the Black woman will be placed in these compromising situations?"

magic from four Afropolitan femmes. The main characters traverse love, career and add to the literature of the various dimensions of a Nigerian woman against the tableau of patriarchal views that have dominated our understandings.

As with any good novel, there is a twist in the genre's feel (don't Google it)! Happy reading, fam!

PHOTO CREDIT: RAY M

Job Opportunities

Senior Officer, Mental Health and Justice Partnerships | The Pew Charitable Trusts (DC Based)

(BA or equivalent experience required, advanced degree in public policy, with particular focus on mental health or other relevant field preferred. 10 + years experience). Still, shoot your shot

The Pew Charitable Trusts is looking for a Senior Officer to join its Mental Health and Partnership portfolio. This job applies across clinical, management, policy, and AGPP You will use your expertise to provide technical assistance related to mental health policy You will manage state and national level stakeholders conduct monitoring and evaluation, program design, etc Looking for strong writing skills and the willingness to travel. Apply here!

Summer Camp Counselor | Camp Ramapo (Based in Rhinebeck, NY)

(Nine-week commitment from midJune to mid-August, Apply ASAP before 6/1) Shoot your shot Work in a residential summer camp that promotes independence and self-confidence, teaches social skills, and helps dismantle barriers to participation. Receive training in working with children experiencing a range of social and emotional challenges. Free food, lodging, travel and stipend provided Various staff positions available Apply here!

Clinical Research Coordinator | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (NYC Based-Hybrid)

(High school diploma required, Bachelor's preferred) Shoot your shot. You will: Collect, abstract, and enter data for research projects, databases, and/or protocols (clinical trials) among other things In this role, you will work collaboratively as a member of the research team focused on responsibilities related to managing clinical trials data As a Clinical Research Coordinator, you will be an essential member of the team as data is the key to research, allowing us to continuously learn about the people and diseases we help treat Apply here!

Behavior Intervention Specialist | YAISeeing Beyond Disability (NYC Based)

(Master's required in Psychology, Social Work, Mental Health Counseling or Marriage and Family Therapy) Shoot your shot. Clinical position involving the assignment to several programs where the selected candidate is responsible for the assessment of individuals’ habilitative, behavioral and psychiatric needs and the development and implementation of effective interventions to help support those needs. Clinical supervision and opportunities for continuing education credit available. Apply here!

The Authentic Self

BY MISHAEL SIMS (SHE/HER)

What if I told you nobody knows who they are? We are all constantly trying to be someone or something until life hits us, and we feel stuck because we feel lost We suddenly stop, wondering who we are and where we ’ re going But then, sometimes, you realize there is still so much room for choice We are taught to think about and decide who we want to be so early on, without ever being pushed to sit with our thoughts and feelings and figure out what we would find fulfilling I hope you've had a chance to think about who you really are and who you want to be If you've never had the opportunity to do that, let this be the first step.

You are free to change your mind, change your goals, and change yourself

How can we navigate the world when we cannot even recognize ourselves? There is pressure to stay the same and keep doing the things we've been doing because that is expected of us. Now, expect differently In all the faces you will wear in this life, you are ultimately birthing the truest one Becoming is a process; never forget that

As we watch nature reveal one version of itself, we hope you will take note and ask yourself: who do I want to become? Into what areas would I like to blossom? You’ ve had your winter Now, let go of the old you and make room for whom you ’ re becoming Just as the flower petals fall off and grow back without fail, you, too, can do the same. We are all everchanging, and just like Spring, we can show up with warmth, fullness, and beauty, flaunting our new growth Keep blossoming.

Production Team

MARCH 2022

Editorial & Design Team

Seyi Segun (She/Her) Chief Editor

Chantel Plummer (She/Her) Senior Editor

Kalea Woods (They/Them) Senior Editor

Mishael Sims (She/Her) Senior Editor

Want to Contribute to Melanated?

We're accepting short stories, poetry, art, photography, Op-Eds, and letters! All items should be under 400 words. Written pieces should be submitted as a Word document; photos in JPEG or PNG format; and video and audio as Mp4s and Mp3s respectively

We remain available to answer any questions you might have. Please submit your artistry here!

Contributors

Faculty Highlight

Marcella J. Tillett (She/Her)

Action Lab for Social Justice

What's Happening in the Action Lab

Uplifting Black Artists

Assétou Xango