UCTC Statement on Racial Violence and Trauma

The University Counseling and Testing Center (UCTC) joins the rest of the USA community in expressing our grief, sorrow and compassion to all those who have been impacted by the race based tragedies that have been occurring across our nation. These tragedies reflect a longstanding and entrenched history of structural and systemic injustice that we condemn and are dedicated to addressing. While these tragedies can be traumatizing for all of us, we recognize that they may be especially injurious to members of our Black and African-American community. In the aftermath of experiencing or witnessing trauma, it is normal to experience a range of feelings and emotions, such as shock, fear, sadness, anger, helplessness or guilt. UCTC is committed to affirming and providing care for all of our students who have been directly or vicariously impacted by trauma caused by racism, bigotry, prejudice and indifference. We encourage you to contact our office at 252-460-7051 if you (or someone you know) would like support with coping and healing. We are also providing a number of resources for you (see below). We hope that these resources resonate with the USA community as ways in which we can both support those who are hurting and join together to facilitate a more inclusive and supportive environment for all. Additionally, and in collaboration with the University Diversity and Inclusion Committee we will be participating in a virtual Courageous Conversation to provide a space to discuss the George Floyd killing. It will take place via Zoom on Thursday, June 4, 2020, at 4:30 p.m. See flyer.

With love and solidarity,

The Staff at UCTC

Resources for Black Individuals and Communities

• Black Lives Matter: Meditations
• Black Lives Matter: Toolkits
• Common Coping Strategies
• Disarming Racial Micro-aggressions: Micro-intervention Strategies for Targets, White Allies, and Bystanders
• Discrimination: What It Is and How to Cope
• Emotionally Restorative Self-Care for People of Color
• Filling Our Cups: 4 Ways People of Color Can Foster Mental Health and Practice Restorative Healing
• Grief is a Direct Impact of Racism: Eight Ways to Support Yourself
• Healing Justice is How We Can Sustain Black Lives
• Liberate Meditation App (by and for people of color)
• NAMI: African American Mental Health
• Proactively Coping with Racism
• Racial Trauma is Real
• Radical Self-Care in the Face of Mounting Racial Stress
• Racism Recovery Steps
• Recovering Emotionally From Disaster
• Supporting Kids of Color in the Wake of Racialized Violence
• Talking about Race: Self-Care
• Tips for Self-Care: When Police Brutality Has You Questioning Humanity and Social Media is Enough
• Tips for Supporting Each Other
• We Heal Too

Antiracism Resources

• 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
• Antiracist Toolkit for Teachers and Researchers
• Detour-Spotting for White Antiracists
• Disarming Racial Micro-aggressions: Micro-intervention Strategies for Targets, White Allies, and Bystanders
• Expressive Writing Prompts to Use if You’ve Been Accused of White Fragility, Spiritual Bypassing, or White Privilege
• Harvard Implicit Bias Test
• How to Talk to Kids about Race: Books and Resources That Can Help
• How Well-Intentioned White Families Can Perpetuate Racism
• Resources for Educators Focusing on Antiracist Learning and Teaching
• Talking About Race: Being Antiracist
• Toolkit for Teaching about Racism
• White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

USA Resources

• Black Student Union
• Office of Diversity and Inclusion
• Office of Multicultural Affairs
• Reporting Discrimination and Harassment at USA
• University Counseling Center
• USA Student Health Center

Books to Read

On Antiracism

• How to Be an Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
• Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad
• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
• White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Dr. Robin DiAngelo

On the Experience of Racism

• Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
• Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper
• I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
• The Bridge Called My Back, Writings by Radical Women of Color edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa
• My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem

Organizations to Support

• Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective
• Black Girls Smiles
• Black Women’s Blueprint
• Color of Change
• Equal Justice Initiative
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
• Showing up for Racial Justice
• Sister Song
• The Audre Lorde Project
• The Antiracist Research and Policy Center
• The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights