One Matrix, Spring 2021 Issue

MATRIX

ONE

All Black women are part of One Matrix

SPRING 2021

Seven Steps To a Transformed You

Seen & Heard

Therapist Jazreal Turner on community healing and life beyond therapy sessions for Black women on college campuses.

SISTER ARTIST INSIDER

Beverly Paul on Art, Social Activism & Memory Pg 1

One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

CONTENTS 5

Welcome Home, Sis

7 The Publisher’s Cut

One Matrix We are not a monolith but we sure do have a lot in common.

Come see some of yourself!

10 Sister Artist Insider

DC area artist Bevely Paul talks about activism, community and the ways that her artwork reflects the experiences of Black women in America.

20 Seen & Heard

How PA-based therapist, Jazreal Turner helps with transitional challenges and what she recommends for her clients beyond therapy.

26 Seven Steps to Renewing Your Mind & Transforming Your Life by Rev. Beve

Next Issue - Summer 2021 A Brush & The Law How White women who make decisions about the lives of Black families in courts often overlook and trivialize care for Black girls

Photo Courtesy of Printful, Used by permission

The Be Light Campaign & the development of Safe Spaces for Black girls - A Discovery Through Stories.

Two Races One Identity Interviews and Narratives with Biracial Folks Getting to Joy We talk of joy but many of us feel pain.

How do we get to joy?

Mothers & Daughters on Relationship Poverty & the Environments Where We Live Money!

And so more!

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ONE

MATRIX

C. Chekejai Coley, Publisher Reverend Beverly “Rev Beve” Saunders Biddle, Senior Editor Tina Marie Coley, Managing Editor Kimberlyn Peat, Advisory Editor Issue Advisors Anthony Goggins Erica Knight Monique Gordon Melonia Turner Contributors Beverly Paul, Artist & Contributory Editor Rev. Beverly “Rev Beve” Saunders Biddle Jazra’el Turner, LMFT Special Thanks Stephan Groce Simone Jenifer Dr. Kocava Selassie, Ph.D. Selena P. Johnson, National Association of Black Social Workers Nappy.Co Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence

@Designingsistas

One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

WELCOME HOME, SIS The great scholar, educator & suffragist, Dr. Anna Julia Cooper is quoted as saying, “women’s cause is one and universal.” It’s true. We are not a monolith but, in some ways, our hearts beat the same rhythm. We are encountering some of the same things. We are often disproportionately impacted by discriminatory practices in institutions schools, courts, hospitals, work spaces and sometimes even in supermarkets.

Here, in the pages of One Matrix, we offer new imaginings for ourselves. We welcome you to be a part of imagining a space (and maybe a world) where you see yourself and everything

around you in a new way — in ways that affirm you. Here is our comfort space, our work space and a space to work on our conditions and heal.

Here we welcome your voice, your experiences and your genius. We are in this together so grab some tea and put your feet up ‘cause here, you are home - steady & stable.

We work on a visualizing, the actualizing, the realizing and the materializing together. We think new thoughts together so let’s think some things through so that we get to that special place where we all deserve to be.

“A woman’s cause is one and universal” -

Dr. Anna Julia Cooper.

We say,YEP! And, we are in this together! Now, let’s work on a way out.

Image & layout by Canva. They said I could use it; just this once, though.

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O M One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

M

About 15 years ago, a wise woman advised me to, “see all Black women as part of the same matrix.” I had no idea what that meant so I questioned things and pondered. This particular word in my spirit encouraged me to find out what it meant to look at all Black women as one. The quest came after the question and, Guuuurl, I learned! What did I learn? I learned that we go through some stuff just beacuse we are Black women.

It’s the wildest thing! I had never consciously realized, that many of us grew up under very similar circumstances.

Many of us grew up with a single parent who may have struggled to put food on the table. We inherited some generational challenges — academically, socially and financially.

We have been impacted by (what has been for us) “universal” challenges such as institutional racism, poor schools, health impacts, higher rates of intimate partner abuses, systemic violence through court systems and a number of violations and traumas that should, ideally, unite us in more ways than they sometimes do. All of it has a very profound impact on thought and life.

In many ways, we have been denied our pains. We are not often “allowed” to feel our own pains or, if we do, we are told in one-way-or-another, not to speak on them to others around us. Many times we are even blamed for the way that we are adversely impacted by others which is still an

The Cut

One Matrix

all-too typical approach to Black girls and women. As a result, many of us disconnect in some ways just to keep on surviving. It’s been our “normal” and really, it does not work for us.

I do know a few women who have been able to speak their truths. Women through history such as Ida B. Wells and Mary Ann Shadd Cary, contemporary women such as our featured artist, Beverly Paul who uses her art to give Black women a voice, and Jazreal Turner, a PA-based therapist, who helps students at PWIs find theirs.

We have much work to do here (and, to hear) so One Matrix is doing the work to become more aware of those voices. We hope that you will give a listen as we present them here in the pages of our magazine, as well as in an upcoming podcast. It is when we listen with our whole hearts that we can hear better. We learn more and respond to each other in healthier ways which guides us to our healing experiences and spaces. Cap everything off with Seven Steps by Rev. Beve who can helps us to connect to the voice within.

Let’s agree to take actions to do things differently, from a place of knowing. In that place, we win because we have everything to gain.

“...do things differently, from a place of knowing”

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The Suffragettes

BEFORE DOPE WAS DOPE SHE WON

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One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

Dr. Anna Julia Cooper

Frances Barrier Williams

Ida B. Wells - Barnett

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The women on our shirts represent progress! Women like Dr. Anna Julia Cooper and Ida B. who did profound work in education, politics and in publishing. Many of them also fought for the vote for Black women as well as for the lives of Black people. We still continue to gain ground because of their work. Pass on the knowledge and understanding to the next generation.

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Used by permission.

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One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

Painter Mixed Media Artist Textile Diva

SISTER ARTIST INSIDER DC area artist Bevely Paul talks about the representation of Black art, activism, community and the ways that her artwork reflects the experiences of Black women in America.

I See People But They Look Like Trees, B. Paul. Private Collection

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If? What’s Wrong With This Picture, B. Paul. Private Collection

One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

SISTER ARTIST INSIDER Beverly Paul on Art, Social Activism & Memory

Mixed media artist and visual artist Beverly Paul has a lot to share about how social justice and memory play significant roles in her work during this interview with OMM. She also speaks with us about why she uses Black women as a part of her subject matter and how she uses art to give them (us) a voice. Enjoy her interview.

It’s rich with history, culture, the African aesthetic and so much more.

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“...a lot of what you see in the Black aesthetic has survived through memory.”

OMM: You have a very rich and diverse body of work. It’s very connected to so many aspects of life for Black people. The influences in your work are tied into the family, quilt making, and the African and Black aesthetic. Would you explain some of your personal history and some of the influences that come through your work?

is set in the past, but from where we are now, you can see residual effects in the present-day community in the piece. It’s very reflective of the time then and the time now. Would you provide deeper insights?

BP: People say a picture is worth a thousand words. So the idea for,

BP: Well, all of those things are intimately tied to each other or intertwined really. You can’t necessarily talk about one without talking about the other because a lot of what you see in the Black aesthetic has survived through memory. Memories that have been passed down in families from one generation to the next. For instance, in my work, the aesthetic traditions that link early African American quilts to African textiles is evident through my use of bold bright colors, large designs, vertical strips and protective writing. For me, those memories exist because of the many hours I sat at the feet of my mother and aunts while they made quilts and the wonderful memories I have of watching my mother sew and make beautiful hats. So yes, so much of my work is informed by those cherished moments.

Until this day, my work continues to follow the work of those women who were instrumental in shaping the woman and the artist that I am today.

OMM: Yes, I can see those influences in your art. That is next level!

You have a piece, The Initiated that actually looks like a quilt. The connection is clear. In another one of your pieces, If? What’s Wrong With This Picture, you capture some of the challenges of our community — the Black community. The piece

One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

No Lost Sheep, B Paul. Private Collection

If? What’s Wrong With This Picture, came from one of my mother-in-law’s many newspaper clippings. She would cut out articles from Ebony and Jet magazines or things from newspaper articles that she found interesting.

I mean she had a treasure trove of really deep and profound articles regarding the African-American community and she carefully archived these

clippings. Can you imagine for me as an artist what it was like going through these wonderful tidbits of information about us? I was like a kid in a candy store! She had this newspaper clipping of two little Black boys sitting on the stoop in conversation and the caption read, “What do you want to be if you grow up?” Those words hit me like a ton of bricks and it was like, “Wow!” You know? So, I used that newspaper clipping as a springboard or starting point, so to speak, and built a composition around it. The cartoon artist really captured the angst within the Black community in that small, powerful, metaphorical drawing of two little Black boys — who should have been running around playing — but were instead asking the question, “What do you want to be if you grow up?” The question and the cartoon spoke volumes. And they still do because — as you mentioned — many of the things that were happening then are still happening.

one says or, something that I feel and I just go from there. Poetry comes to me in much the same way. I can hear something on the news regarding a current event or something that’s going on in the world and words for a poem will just start to flow. In fact, the Trayvon Martin poem that I wrote came to me in that way.

OMM: It has some pretty significant social relevance and context. The artwork has a lot of very profound lessons in it that mimics children contemplating or, not contemplating, a future for themselves. How were you able to create art from such a challenging subject matter?

BP: Yes, I remember it was on the morning that the not guilty verdict came in and confirmed what so many of us already knew — that Trayvon would not get the justice that he deserved. When I heard the verdict and saw the lawyer talking about it on the news, the words came swiftly. In fact, so much so that I had to hurry and find a pen and paper to write it down. Later that same year, I did a painting about Trayvon Martin as well. A tribute to his life. My gift to him.

“

OMM: You write poetry as well?

Interesting.

...a lot of what you see in the Black aesthetic has survived through memory. Memories that have been passed down in families from one generation to the next.”

BP: I like texture. I like textures because you’re feeling with your eyes. I want you to be able to feel with your eyes the difference between something that is smooth and something that is rough — if you were to touch it. I like using more than just a sense of sight in my work. I also want you to be able to smell it and hear it.

So I will often use improvisation in terms of my color choices, much like early African American quiltmakers did. I juxtapose colors and shapes next to each other to make the composition more interesting. I cut and paste different materials into the work.

I also use different hues to create layers and lighter and darker tones to place emphasis in certain areas.

For instance, in If? — here are these two little boys contemplating whether or not they will have a future. That’s bumpy stuff. That’s not smooth. That’s rough.

So through texture, I deal with the roughness of their situation through the use of mesh — something that creates a rough texture, and doilies — something that normally signifies beauty, refinement and contentment, but here I use it to show a theme of opposites, the ugliness that’s happening in a society where two little boys have to ponder and contemplate what

“

BP: What happens a lot is that I will get inspiration from something — a song that I hear, something that I’ve read in a book, something that some-

OMM: Art is a gift and artists are always giving from that place in many ways! Can you talk a little bit about your process, some of the materials that you use in your work and how you use them?

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they want to be if they grow up.

OMM: Children are now being taught what to do if they ever get stopped by the cops. This is a very challenging conversation to have.

It brings the future into question. I guess in one way or another, we all have some contemplating to do — maybe think some new thoughts too.

Speaking of thoughtfulness, you have a piece with Harriet Tubman.

She is a shepherd with a flock of sheep.

American University graduate student who was curating this exhibit, so we were under the impression that the show was an opportunity for graduate students from these two major universities to come together, compare our work and talk about our process and what we were doing. We got there on

BP: No Lost Sheep OMM: No Lost Sheep. Yes. Her spirit is unwavering. This piece speaks for itself. Where can people see your work?

BP: Much of my work can be seen on my website at beverlypaulsart.com.

I do various shows with other artists throughout the year, so my work can be seen at different venues depending on what show I’m in at any given time. Also, because of the pandemic, some shows are being exhibited virtually like the David C. Driskell’s Students Exhibition. That particular exhibit can be seen on the Driskell Center’s site at driskellcenter.umd.edu.

OMM: During the course of your studies and career as an artist, are there any particular exhibits or experiences that stand out to you?

BP: I can remember being in an exhibit over at American University quite some time ago. I was working on my MFA at Howard University at the time, and an invitation for Howard graduate students to be in this exhibit with American University graduate students had been extended. It was an

One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

Artist, Beverly Paul in studio. Image by B. Paul.

the opening night of the show and they were having a panel discussion about “others” as it pertained to Black art — our art — art created by Black graduate students. Our mouths dropped open because had we known the topic, we might have reconsidered participating in the exhibit. So, the whole discussion about this idea of a canon in which Black artists are seen as outsiders and didn’t fit into this European tradition was the topic of the night. So can you imagine — something that came natural to us, something that

was considered intrinsic to us, was considered “other” to them. We knew, of course, that this idea of “others” existed, but it would have been nice to be forewarned. You know the art world is still this very strange place for artists of color and Black artists in particular.

OMM: That position is always unbelievable but not surprising. We often see that disconnect when we deal outside of our cultural realm. Also, I feel like we don’t know enough Black women artists so sitting here talking to you is a rare treat. Is there a wide representation of Black art?

BP: It’s interesting that you mention that because I read this article recently about how the representation of Black artists in museums is around 3%. This new film that’s come out on HBO recently called, “Black Art: In the Absence of Light” gives an even grimmer statistic — stating that in major American museums, just a little over 1% of the artwork has been created by Black artists. That’s about 2% less than what I had read a few months ago, so there are serious hurdles that Black artists still face, despite the tireless work that my mentor and friend, Dr. David Driskell, did in this area. Had he not dedicated himself to this herculean endeavor, we probably wouldn’t be represented at all. And I think it’s even worse for Black women artists. I mean the audacity of us — Black women — to call ourselves artists. Well, you know how we do it — when someone says no, we say, next! That’s right, “no” to us has always meant “next!”

OMM: Agreed! The world is just beginning to catch up to the work and genius of Black women. And, although the representation is low, you center Black women – very spe-

cial. How is it that you have come to use Black women in your art?

BP: I want to give them, her, us, a voice. I don’t think Black women get the credit or recognition they deserve for holding our community together.

Black women like Ida B. Wells, who spoke out about lynching, when doing so could cause you your life. Women like Fannie Lou Hamer who went from the Mississippi Delta to Congress [DC] to speak about the injustices that were inflicted upon the Black community. Some of these women are starting to get some recognition, but for years we didn’t hear anything about them and the work they did so that we could have a better future. In the small town that I grew up in, I did not know how tirelessly they worked and organized until I was an adult. I mean, these were women that I knew and who ran programs and worked to make sure that the children in our community were fed while our mothers were at work during the day. They helped each other. They didn’t seek recognition. They just quietly went about doing what needed to be done. These were the same women who had been in touch with Martin Luther King, Jr. and had made arrangements to bring him to our small town right before he was assassinated.

and with a conviction. They believe in what they do and it works. It’s really powerful. What keeps you in this space of conviction about your work and about the messages that your work carries?

BP: I try to honor my gift. I don’t take it for granted. I just love making art and I love using my hands. What can I say? It’s who I am. I love creating something that’s aesthetically pleasing at times and not so much at other times. I was born with the love of making art and using my hands.

OMM: You are also a nurse helping people to heal on other levels as well.

like me. Wow, talk about my world just opening up. It was super exciting!

OMM: What informs your art?

BP: Many things. Spirit and experiences within the Black community, our collective narratives — all of that informs me. Again, those Black women who came before me — my mother, my foremothers, those women who taught me so much as I was growing up in North Carolina. So, memory informs my work. A lot of what I do also contains spiritual elements. Those experiences that I had growing up in North Carolina, collective and communal narratives that were passed down from one generation to the next. The imposition that has been placed on our community and the way some of us have been shamed out of our voices. Shamed out of our intuition. When I think of the words of Maya Angelou, I’m informed by our indominable spirit because despite those impositions and in many cases atrocities — still we rise.

So a lot of my work reflects what has happened and what is happening in the Black community and the world outside that community — my experiences.

My walk through life and what that feels like as a Black woman. You know sometimes our walk, our existence, is quite invisible to others. I did a painting called, “I See People But They Look Like Trees”. That painting speaks to that invisibility and what is behind it.

The failure to see our humanity. The failure to see us. The premise for this work is based on the story of Jesus putting spit on the eyes of the blind man so that he could regain his sight. When

“I want to give them, her, us, a voice. I don’t think Black women get the credit or recognition they deserve for holding our community together.”

Our Black teachers were also unsung heroes — “sheroes,” I call them, so I honored their hard work in a painting that I did called, “A Teachers Prayer”.

OMM: Artists are a special group of people. Artists work from Spirit

BP: Yes. As always, nursing is a stable and honorable profession, so I decided to embark upon a career that would allow me to make a decent living and be of service to others; but my love for art never went away and I was always making art, always creating things.

One day it dawned on me to not deny this truth — my truth — any longer so I went back to art school and got an undergraduate degree in Studio Art from the University of Maryland at College Park. And I’m so glad I did because that’s where I met Dr. Driskell and for the first time I was introduced, by him, to other artists who looked

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Jesus asked the question. “Do you see anything?” the blind man said, “I see people, but they look like trees.”

OMM: You “resurrect” some women who have been harmed by institutional violence in your work.

It’s very moving and stirring.

BP: I used Natasha McKenna, Eleanor Bumpers and Sandra Bland, women who were killed or died while in police custody, as the subjects for this painting. I placed their faces on the One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

trunks of trees. The painting is really metaphorical in that these three women are symbolic — much in the same way that George Floyd is symbolic of Black people in America and how our humanity is often invisible or ignored.

The painting is symbolic of America needing a second touching. A second healing so-to-speak so that its eyes can be opened and so that it can see our humanity clearly. So that we are no longer invisible. So that we no longer look like trees.

A Teacher’s Prayer, B. Paul, Private Collection

...still we rise

“Dr. Driskell was a one-of-a-kind teacher.

He was just one of those teachers that you are lucky and blessed to have crossed paths with. We — his students — had this whole world of Black art and artists opened up to us that we didn’t even know existed. He put in the work. He pulled two centuries of Black art together for us to be able to see people who look like us, doing what we did, and to see the possibilities.” Beverly Paul

To see more of Mrs. Paul’s work or to order prints of selected pieces, please visit: www. beverlypaulsart.com

You can also see Mrs. Paul’s work @: www.driskellcenter.umd.edu

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Seen BE WELL

Mental Health

OMM speaks with therapist Jazrael Turner on her work with the Black community, students finding their voices on campuses, and finding support beyond therapy.

Image Credit, @carolinamarinati Nappy.Co

Image Credit: Alyssa Anne @alyssasieb Nappy.Co

HBCU - Historically Black College & University

One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

PWI - Predominantly White Institution

image Credit, @CreateHERStock Nappy.Co

MWI - Mainly White Institution

BE WELL

Heard Psycho-Spriritual Healing

A

ccording to the website Ayana Therapy, in 2013, only 2% of psychologists were Black. In 2020 the Washington Post reported that Black therapists still only make up 2% of the total number of therapists. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), only about a 1/3 of Black people who need therapy are actually receiving it. The reasons vary from access, concerns from past experiences with counseling, cultural disconnects and stigmas associated with seeking treatment. There is still a great need for therapists in the Black community and there is much work to be done to help facilitate a greater healing. Until there are more culturally-connected and culturally-aware Black therapists available, support others by checking in on them from time-to-time, encourage them and share this interview with them. Communities can help heal its members some along the path.

Image Credit, @crfpics Nappy.Co

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BE WELL

Jazreal Turner, LMFT Image Credit, Jazreal Turner, Used by permission

H

ealing from trauma and pain is not an easy thing to do. It’s especially hard when trying to heal alone.

There are oftentimes feelings of shame, angst, repressed anger or guilt that might be challging to confront. Healing though, is necessary. In the Black community, we have been moving through the muck of those feelings to the best of our ability without the acknowledgement of induced pain nor the benefit of support for generations. That hurt has lasted for a very long time and, in turn, passed down. We are in the process of changing this however. Jazrael Turner, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) is doing some of that work from a small community just outside of Philadelphia, PA. Ms. Turner works with individuals as well as with families. She shares her ideas on how to move beyond the session to continue to connect to self.

One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

JT: I am a licensed marriage family therapist practicing in Montgomery County, PA. which is right outside of Philadelphia.

I have been a mental health therapist for over seven years now serving diverse populations. I work with people from various backgrounds and cultures as well as people with diverse mental health diagnoses.

I also work with groups and individuals of different ages. They can be as young as six to mid-sixties.

OMM: That is a wide range of ages.

Although we know there are no two stories that are exactly alike, what are some of the challenges that you see and, do you see any similar challenges across the board?

JT: Over time, I have seen a range of different mental health diagnoses from anxiety to depression and trauma, which is PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

I have also seen individuals who are suffering with substance abuse issues. I now primarily serve transitional-aged youth — those who are ages 18 - 30. This particular group has the issues that I mentioned as well as a number of transitional issues.

OMM: What stands out about this particular group and, what are transitional issues?

JT: This particular group faces the transitional issues that come with that age group which are challenges associated with anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.

They are also coming into adulthood. The lighter term is “growing pains” but they are becoming adult members of society.

They are leaving home, going to work or college. Everything is changing in big and meaningful ways. I work, in particular, with many college students that are in that age group. I work with mainly young African-American women who are in that same transitional phase.

Om: Tell us about your work with these young women. Why is it important to you to center this particular group?

JT: These young African-American

women are from both Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Primarily White Institutions (PWIs). I would say that issues that some are facing — those who are mainly at PWIs — have to do with being seen and heard.

They face unique challenges connected to race and gender that can be hard to navigate. They are in classes and expected to participate but, even if they respond in a way that shows their brilliance, oftentimes their ideas and their brilliances don’t get validated in classes by White teachers and that creates many issues. They often experience levels of aggressions in classes from those around them and that has an impact.

OMM: Black women often come from challenging situations at home — not in all cases, but in many. They have witnessed or experienced violence at home or racism in school. Some have also experienced or witnessed family financial challenges and there are still many other Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) that most Black women experienced early in life as children.

This doesn’t exclude men who face similar circumstances but some young women look at school as a way out and then find that they came out of situations at home but face new ones in PWIs. They persevere to the extent that they can but they get to a point where they need to process.

They may go to a White therapist only to find that again, they are not really being heard or understood. The therapist might understand the transitional issues but

they can’t really understand or validate their life experiences or the racism that these young women face in class which adds more pain and anxiety. How do you address compounded trauma along with unresolved trauma?

JT: As a therapist, I am looking at how

racial trauma impacts on them and working to support them by connecting them to their own sense of validation.

OMM: Regarding being seen and heard. It’s like silencing and erasure and that has been a long-standing issue in our community — an impact and byproduct of racism. What are some of the ways that you recommend Black women address this? What would be some examples of a safe space for them?

JT: One thing that’s really big for me is that I support young women with locating support — other places, people or orga-

Image Credit @streetphonicz

OMM: Greetings Jazrael, Thank you for sitting down to speak with us. You are a marriage and family therapist; so you work with children and families.

Tell us about your work.

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BE WELL nizations — where they can be received after leaving my office. Places where they can have a voice. What many students have been doing and, what I encourage them to do, is to find Black Student Unions (BSU) or African Student Union or clubs where there are other Black students.

These organizations and clubs offer a level of group support to more underserved populations on PWI campuses. So, almost by default, becoming a part of organizations and clubs can often provide support for them socially and helps to give a voice to those who otherwise might feel like they don’t otherwise have one.

OMM: That sounds promising.

JT: A lot of my students have found that BSUs have been a very good support.

Some of my students who are at HBCUs more-than-likely have professors who look like them or they have access to certain curriculums and cultures that’s more validating for them. The ones who attend PWIs probably do not have that same offering. So it is really important for students at PWIs to have those connections and when they do, I find that they are glad to have that additional, meaningful support.

ed populations and people who are not always able to see therapists who look like them. I feel like the more visible we become in our communities, the more people will embrace the true need to heal and use therapy as a part of their healing journeys.

There aren’t many Black therapists; we are a growing body though. My work has always been centered around normalizing therapy work to highlight mental health as a rule. Part of my work is really about showing people that therapy can be accessible.

I’m definitely looking to help increase access to mental health services in the Black community, in particular in areas where there is still a stigma in regards to mental health and seeking treatment through therapy.

OMM: That is a great work. Black therapist are needed. Black therapists are still pretty rare; they are in demand and folks are looking for ways to heal. Can you speak to the demand.

sought out a lot during this time by other African-Americans looking for a Black therapists. There are things — inequities and personal impacts — that have been there for years but are definitely highlighted more in the media and in politics and policy now. The truth of these things coming to the light in ways that they have been — globally — is good but it’s invoking generations of pain for Black people as well as the continuation of that pain especially when things go wrong — like when a Black person is hurt by institutions or worst. Black people are looking for ways to heal in the company of those who understand the pain on an internal and communal level.

OMM: If you were to advise someone on therapy, what would you say?

JT: Therapy can be a space where you can be your authentic self and that you can have a therapist who is able to meet you right there where you are and support you in your exploration and healing.

JT: Because of the racial injustice that’s being seen so much in our country I, like other Black therapists, have been

Therapy is great and it’s needed. Black folks need support and that is a real place.

It definitely helps people learn to process things but sessions generally only take place once a week; so support needs to be continuous outside of those times. There is so much more beyond therapy.

OMM: We still have some challenges with acknowledging our pain in ways that prompts us to seek help. For generations that pain has been denied and therapy still comes with a stigma.

Though things are changing, some still brush off the pain. We become the “strong Black woman archetype” for example or, we get the “you alright” brush off which subverts our feelings and needs. How do you approach these positions to encourage healing?

JT: It’s definitely been a passion of mine to be able to work with more exclud-

One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

Image credit, CreateHERStock

BE WELL - RESOURCE

If you or someone that you know need services, please contact the National Alliance on Mental Alliance (NAMI) at 800-950-NAMI (6264) for resources (therapists, navigating criminal justice system, help/support groups, or help with specific conditions, such as PTSD, etc).

There is a chaper of NAMI in every state. They can refer BIPOC people to therapists who are culturally aware and sensentive as well as racially trauma informed.

We will expand our resources in the coming issues. For now, enjoy Rev. Beve’s Seven Steps for another level of healing!

BE WELL!

Image Credit, @streetphonicz

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SEVEN STEPS TO RENEWING YOUR MIND & TRANSFORMING YOUR LIFE Rev. Beverly Saunders Biddle (Rev. Beve)

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any people say that they want to transform their lives and that their desire is for their lives to be different. They want to be more joyous or to experience more love. They want better health or to have more prosperity. But often two obstacles get in their way. The first obstacle is the desire for instantaneous change or for changes to occur without any effort on their part. The second often has to do with the need to shift their focus inward versus focusing on outer circumstances.

There are two things I know to be true, the first is that transformation is an inside job and a matter of consciousness. We have to examine and shift the way that we think and what we believe. We must also work to identify any fears or doubts that may be present. The second truth is that there must be a willingness to do the work that is required to effect the desired change. If you are really willing to transform your life, here is a seven-step strategy to support you.

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...transformation is an inside job and a matter of consciousness.

One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

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BE WILLING

BE WILLING to do the work required to make the desired change a manifested reality in your life and affairs. And, know that the work required begins on your internal landscape – within your own mind and heart.

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GET CLEAR & ENVISION

GET CLEAR AND ENVISION the desired result. We often are unsuccessful in creating the desired change in our lives because we are unclear about what that is – what it will look like and feel like when we get it.

TRUST

TRUST that you will be guided to your highest good, that you are divinely protected, and that God’s will for you is absolute good and only good.

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ASK BELIEVING

ASK BELIEVING that the answers you seek will be provided. Ask, “what is God’s will, what is God’s vision for my life or for this particular area of my life?”

TAKE ACTION

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SURRENDER ALL OPPOSING THOUGHTS AND BELIEFS

When you consider what it is that you desire, notice what thoughts or beliefs come up that are contrary to you having it. What do you think and believe about the possibility of the change occurring? What do you believe about your worthiness of having it? What do you think and/ or believe about your ability to take the steps necessary to realize it.

FORGIVE YOURSELF

FORGIVE YOURSELF for harboring things in your heart and mind that sabotage your success in achieving your desired results. Forgive each self-limiting thought and belief. Affirm that you are free from them and that they have no power over you.

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CLAIM YOUR DESIRE

CLAIM YOUR DESIRE for yourself knowing that you are created in the image and likeness of the One Creator of all things.

And, as such, KNOW that you are worthy to receive your heart’s desires. SHIFT your thinking by wholeheartedly claiming your right to have what you want.

Now that you have done your inner work, you are ready to move on to the bonus round. You are now ready to TAKE ACTION in the outer realm and ready to take the next most appropriate steps to make it happen in alignment with Divine Guidance.

Know that I am praying for the fullness of life for you and everyone concerned.

Ordained and certified through Rev. Dr. Iyanla Vanzant’s Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development, Rev. Beve coaches, teaches and facilitates; supporting us to live a life of manifested vision and purpose.

Contact info: 202-717-2015 or weministries2@gmail.com.

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One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21

https://jenennemacklin.com/book/

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One Matrix Magazine, Spring ‘21