RESILIENCY PROJECT

April Martin Chartrand, Presenter

COUN 702[02] | Dr. Sandra FitzgeraldSan Francisco State University

December 9, 2014

Photo

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Photo: Esther Bubley | placesjournal.org

DEMOGRAPHICS

1. 54 yrs. | DOB 1960 | Civil Rights Era

2. Kentucky (USA) during ‘Jim Crow’ Federal/State mandated segregation

3. Self-identifies as a Black male (3rd

generation Native American ancestry)

4. Same gender loving male

5. MS Degree in Clinical Psychology

6. Resides in the Bay Area

7. Spiritual teacher

2

Photos: Google.com

1990 LIFE EVENT – LYNCH MOB

1. 30 yrs. old - Early Adulthood Love: Intimacy vs. Isolation

2. Restaurant in Kentucky

3. With a white pregnant study partner (Miscegenation Laws)

4. Microinsults - wait staff & restaurant regulars

5. Study partner was in denial about the structural racism in Kentucky (Post-Racial?)

6. Their car had a threatening sign on it containing a racial slur on it

7. Microassaults - they were followed by two white men and threatened, taunted, and physically harassed for miles

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Photos: completewellbeing.com

& www.indianapolisrecorder.com

QUESTIONS

1. Tell me about a life event related to the experience of resilience?

2. What was the challenge?

3. Who was most helpful to you? What community resources were available?

4. What kept you going?

5. What individual attributes and protective factors contributed to your resiliency?

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Photos: Top -Google.com

Bottom - 1963 MLK in Frankfort, Kentucky | Google.com

RESPONSE HIGHLIGHTS 5

“I come from a family where education has been extremely important

for several generations” . . .

“I find various aspects of my own multicultural culture, my

own complex spirituality and their related support systems, for

me, to be among the most consistently helpful things to aid in

my ongoing building of resilience” . . .

“I did not allow myself to become a victim. I acknowledged that

neither myself nor my friend deserved the treatment we were exposed

to. I worked to continue work, in my own way, to educate around the

issues of white supremacy, racism” . . . Graphic: April Martin Chartrand

PROTECTIVE & RISK FACTORS

Family

Friendship

Community

Spirituality

Education

Insight

Compassion

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1. Assaultive Racism = Death

2. Mental Heath = PTSD, PTSS, Stress,

Low Self-Esteem, High Blood Pressure

& Depression . . .

3. Shorter life expectancy

4. Cumulative discriminatory experiences

& adverse health outcomes

5. Adverse social impairment,

economic and political

ramifications

Photo: Facebook | Graphic: April Martin Chartrand

Mr. X’s WORDS OF WISDOM

What I would first say is that such a student must be coming from a place of service, deep service, when deciding to enter into any kind of counseling profession that will require one to work with people who have experienced systemic oppression.

. . .become intimately and deeply connected with and accepting of your utter and profound ignorance and cluelessness around race based systemic oppression if you are white. This, I believe, is true even if you are a woman, even if you are a member of the LGBTQI communities, even if you come from a very economically poor background, even if you are disabled in some way.

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Photo: Google.com

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Find out who you are.

I mean really find out who you are on the inside.

Discover the shadow parts.

Discover the unresolved pain parts.

Discover the needy parts.

Discover the mean parts.

And accept them all to the best of your ability.

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