TIA OSO | ZOJO BLACK HEALING PROJECT
healing (noun) - the process of making or becoming sound, whole or healthy again.
Healing, wellness and self care are easily recognizable as lifestyle buzzwords.
But for Black people facing the personal to structural circumstances of racism, compounded by the generations of racial trauma we have survived, we need more than buzz words, aesthetics and transactional encounters.
We need care. And as I travel along my healing journey, I am more and more aware of how important it is to receive that care from people who look like me.
There is an understanding and expertise that schools and certifications (though they are important!) cannot teach that comes with living and existing as a Black person. The ancestral knowledge that is reclaimed and/or embedded in our DNA is in itself a medicine. There is a unique quality when Black people engage in healing other Black people, that I believe we should all experience.
No Code Switching.
I find that Black healers help ease the undue burden of translating my life, way of communicating and the context of being a Black woman, especially if I am new to a healing practice. If I am feeling unfamiliar and nervous about trying something new, and managing the stress or anxiety of whatever issue I am seeking treatment for, having to code switch and otherwise navigate gaps in communication can make it a challenge to relax and receive the benefit of healing treatments, therapy or counseling sessions, etc.
This tension was something I actually never noticed UNTIL a friend of mine gifted me a treatment at a Black-owned and operated healing center in Brooklyn. The masseuse complimented my skin, but not in “that” way. You know the way I mean. She moved with confidence and calm and was not hesitant, nor overly focused on my glutes, which I have experienced, or any other part of my body that made me uncomfortable.
Massage therapists always tell you to relax, but, can you REALLY relax? Does the space feel safe and the hands feel comforting? Do you have to wonder in the back of your mind whether or not the person is fetishizing or objectifying you? Do you have to expend energy to explain in great detail an issue that is common to Black people in order for the practitioner to get an understanding of the issue you want to address?
Black practitioners can actually ensure a level of care and service and experience that alleviates stress and labor on the part of the client.
Photo by Shekeidra Booker
Kinship Expertise.
I think kinship expertise is a step beyond cultural competency. For those who have had the gift of experiencing the loving and tender touch of your mother, grandmother, auntie or uncle, you know what I mean when I say that Black hands are healing hands. There is a special connection, an invisible thread connecting people of African descent, and a knowing and understanding that other folks can not lay claim to.
Black practitioners who take the time to build their knowledge of culturally and ethnically specific modalities such as kemetic yoga, African and Caribbean natural foods and herbal medicines, Black music, songs and other healing materials are in many ways much better equipped to meet the needs of Black clients, and may help us to experience improved benefits and results. My favorite example of this is when I began to seek out coaches and counselors to support me through life transitions, I found that the advice and programs offered by Black women were much more effective and efficient for me than those of others.
Healing is Power.
With trauma, crisis and uncertainty surrounding us, things can feel overwhelming and like life is out of control, especially in 2020. That means it is more important now than ever to reclaim the connection to our bodies and ourselves that healing practices can bring.
Black healers are able to understand in a personal way what these times mean, and what Black folks need in order to heal.
Please utilize the ZOJO directory and submit your profile if you are a healer or looking to connect with a Black healer in your area. The purpose of this project is to help us to connect for the very real and worthy higher purpose that is community healing.
That means you, too.
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Tia Oso is a transformational organizer and strategist. A community engagement professional specializing in social change initiatives at the intersection of social justice, art, popular culture, media and communications.
