PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
THE VOICE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SINCE 1934 October 15-21, 2020 Vol. 87 No. 11
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Marchers demand Black women’s rights
“AS IT WAS SPOKEN ... LET US RECORD.”
Blacks, mental health and COVID By Charles Hallman Contributing writer
Protect Black Women was the theme of a rally and march in St Paul last Saturday. Organizers said they wanted to bring attention to the problem of police violence especially as it relates to Black women. Speakers talked about their rally as a peaceful one and focused much of their demands on justice for Breonna Taylor shot while in her home in Louisville last spring. Photos by King Demetrius Pendleton
Mental health issues in the Black community pre-COVID-19 always existed, but the coronavirus pandemic has created an even more fragile situation for many reasons. Blacks historically have been impacted by adversity, racism and various socioeconomic disparities. Adult Blacks are more likely to have feelings of sadness, hopelessness and worthlessness than adult Whites. Black men not seeking mental health help often do so because of the fear of being stigmatized or being
health and COVID. “Being open and honest is a very dangerous place for many Black men because there is a lot of shame behind that,” reiterated Jones. Robbins-McNeil added, “Some people have a real hard time thinking they could cope after being in the house for six months. Some people still have not gone outside or limit their interactions. It is taking a mental toll on everybody.” Jones points out that some folk see mental health concerns as “going about during their day to day.” “We keep these things internal and address them through bottles [of liquor],
Chauvin’s release stirs protest
Courtesy MGN
Photos by Chris Juhn Young people took to the streets of Minneapolis to voice their outrage at the release of Derek Chauvin on $1 million dollar bail earlier this week. The consensus among speakers was that Chauvin and the other cops involved in the killing of George Floyd should have been considered dangerous and a threat to the community and thus denied bail. Protesters continued their demand that Chauvin and the three other Minneapolis police officers that are charged in Floyd’s death be prosecuted.
New study reveals Blacks deep distrust of U.S. institutions Many see racial bias in health care system
MSR News service
T
he Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and ESPN’s The Undefeated have recently conducted a joint nationwide study that focuses on African Americans’ views and experiences of being Black in America. The survey examined Blacks’ views of unconscious bias and structural racism; experiences of discrimination within and outside of
health care settings; trust in the health care system; the social and economic impacts of the pandemic; and views of a potential coronavirus vaccine. The poll was conducted August 20 through September 14 in which 1,769 adults were interviewed, including 777 Blacks. In addition to exploring the effects of the coronavirus, the Undefeated/KFF poll is one of the most expansive studies in recent years on Black people’s attitudes and
Courtesy of MGN
seen as crazy by family and friends. COVID-19 this year also produced “new” trauma such as uncertainty, isolation, and grief for financial loss or loss of a loved one or friend. Blacks “were dramatically less likely than the general population to seek out mental health treatment,” Black Mental Health Alliance Board President Jonathan Shepherd told The Undefeated in March. According to a new Commonwealth Fund story, Blacks (39%), women (39%), Latinos (40%) and people with lower incomes (44%) are most at risk of mental health concerns, at least 10 points higher than Whites because of the virus. “If you have somebody who is already anxious and nervous, already worried about including the disease, stay-at-home orders and other related things just added to their problems, said local psychotherapist Dr. Zakia Robbins-McNeil. RobbinsMcNeil, veteran substance abuse counselor Samuel Simmons and NorthPoint mental health practitioner Brandon Jones were panelists at the Oct. 7 African American Leadership Forum virtual town hall series on mental
through marijuana, through sex, through violence,” he explains. “We don’t always talk about these things completely, [or] just a little bit. “Typically some of the signs for us in your day-to-day functioning is, change in your mind, sleep patterns, eating less or more. [But] when it comes to Black folk, that’s our normal day to day,” said Jones. “It’s hard to determine when somebody should get help . . . because we deal with so much trauma, we even have language in our community—'it is what it is,' and we really don’t deal with it.” “If you deny your trauma, everybody hurts,” said Simmons, who added that how a person responds to it makes a huge difference in treating it. “Our refusal to deal with our trauma has gotten in the way of a lot of things that we sabotage our own selves with. If you want to heal, you have to deal with the full truth. "The trauma response is when you refuse to deal with the full truth of your trauma,” continued Simmons. “You always find a reason not to do something you need to do. The trauma is not our fault but the healing is our responsibility.” Robbins-McNeil said that ■See COVID on page 6
Economy and race relations seen as growing concerns ahead of election ness markets—and provide a lifeline to struggling Americans—the latest Gallup poll As President Donald reveals that the economy reTrump flip-flops on whether mains a major concern among he would back a new stimu- voters ahead of the November lus proposal to help stabilize 3 election. Nine in 10 responAmerica’s increasingly fragile dents identified the economy financial, consumer and busi- as extremely or very imporBy Stacy Brown NNPA
tant to their vote. The poll, released on October 5, listed national security and terrorism as the next biggest concern (83%), followed by education (82 %), healthcare (80 %), crime (79%), the COVID-19 response (77%), and race relations (76%).
Gallup has surveyed Americans’ “most important concerns” since 1939. The survey became monthly in 2001. “It is not surprising that voters overall rate the economy as the most important issue impacting their vote for president this year given the fragile ■See GALLUP on page 6
Courtesy MGN