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Juneteenth
by Dr. Mindy "Dr. BE" Brooks-Eaves, DSW, CSW
Juneteenth is June 19th. I’ve been reflecting on how this important holiday highlights the crucial need for attention to self-care and self-love in the Black community.
Celebration, Ujima, and Liberation
In 2022, the Biden/Harris Administration, in its proclamation of Juneteenth as a holiday, declared, “We recommit to our shared work to ensure racial justice, equity, and equality in America. We commemorate the centuries of struggle and progress led by abolitionists, educators, civil rights advocates, lawyers, activists, trade unionists, religious leaders, public officials, and everyday Americans who have brought our Nation closer to fulfilling its promise.” In homage, we should celebrate this historical milestone with grandeur and engage in shared work that aligns with ujima.
Early in my career, I worked at Ujima Neighborhood Place, aptly named after the Kwanzaa principle, ujima, which is a commitment to active togetherness and recognition of the collective work necessary for liberation. I witnessed the power of collective work, from becoming a unionized group of social workers to improving the outcomes for Black families in the community. Yet, I also experienced—and continually experience—the insidious effects of racism.
How can we practice liberatory social work in a society marked by brutality and hate in action and policy reminiscent of the aftermath of Reconstruction? I’ve learned that self-care is even more essential in this context. I integrate self-care as lifestyle, not as an extra or an emergency antidote for exhaustion.
Wake Up Everybody!
As part of my self-care routine, I tune in to the Joe Madison Show on Urban View Channel on SXM radio. The show embodies ujima spirit. It opens with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes’ “Wake Up Everybody,” which soulfully serenades a call to action. Karen Hunter signs off, faithfully, by professing her love to the audience and reminding us: “Love” is an action word. Every episode, Lurie Daniel Favors exemplifies love through acknowledging the respective daily Kwanzaa principle. In a “Moment of Gratitude,” listeners are invited to engage in collective deep breathing—set to a soothing, soulful ballad.
No matter the circumstances I face, this brief, collective moment of attention to self-care feels like a warm, encouraging hug. It serves to remind me that every day we must give explicit attention to wellness, as essential practice in maintaining our emotional and spiritual health while engaging in social justice work. Lurie Daniel Favors asks two intersecting, guiding questions, inspired by Sonia Sanchez’s body of work: How does it free us? How does it heal the village?
Ubuntu, Stories, and the Front Lines
These guiding questions remind me of the Ubuntu philosophy, I am because you are. The collective is only as strong, healthy, effective, sustainable, and loving as the individuals within the village. This notion of interconnectedness is antithetical to the falsity of dominating culture’s rugged individualism. But, this false dichotomy feeds into continued oppression. Instead, we must heal ourselves to heal the village.
The Lion’s Story, an organization that helps individuals and organizations navigate racially charged situations using research-based strategies, notes that telling your story heals the village through truth-telling, building understanding, fostering connection, and advocacy raising. Storytelling is a powerful practice in African American culture that builds community and fosters personal healing.
For example, undoubtedly, we live in troubling times similar to post-Reconstruction. But, too often, our stories highlight the struggles without the triumphs. This same period ushered in the Harlem Renaissance and Black entrepreneurship and activism. The Harlem Renaissance, a golden age of Black culture that manifested in music, stage performance, art, literature and fashion gave us Josephine Baker, Aaron Douglas, and Zora Neale Hurston. Black entrepreneurship and activism gave us Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Dubois, and Madam C.J. Walker. The Harlem Renaissance set the stage for what later would be the Civil Rights Movement.
I call on stories like these for affirmation, self-love, and hope. What stories give you strength, resolve, and purpose?
As adrienne maree brown says, “The front lines are inside of us.” Self-care and self-love are fundamentally integral to thriving in oppressive spaces and sustaining my social work activism. Juneteenth celebrates collective liberation. And, it’s an ideal time to recommit to the self-care needed to sustain joy, hope, and purpose in the front lines.
Mindy Eaves
Dr. Mindy Eaves
Dr. Mindy “Dr. BE” Brooks-Eaves, DSW, CSW, is Chair and Program Director of the School of Social Work at Kentucky State University, a Whitney M. Young Scholar, Advisory Board Member of Continued, consultant for the Wellness Group ETC, and co-editor of The A to Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and other Helping Professionals. She holds a Doctorate in Social Work and has 17 years of experience in the areas of ombudsing, leadership, administration, social work education, child welfare, community mental health, and advocacy. Dr. BE’s passion is equity, teaching, and sustainability of social workers with specific attention to disparity, blackness, identity, cultural inclusivity, and practicing radical self-care as a guiding principle.