Beyond ‘solidarity’ with Black Lives Matter: Drawing on liberation psychology and transformative justice to address institutional and community violence in young Black lives

Abstract

The authors, a Systemic Therapist (Author 1) and a young activist (Author 2), call for an approach that draws on Liberation Psychology and Transformative Justice to address pervasive racism in society, beyond statements of solidarity with Back Lives Matter. This requires addressing the impact on Black communities of the criminal legal (or criminal INjustice) system, 'perpetual community trauma' and grief, multiple forms of social disadvantage and exclusion and the relationship between these forms of racial trauma and serious youth violence. Rather than going back to business as usual once the current focus on Black Lives Matter dissipates, such as calls for more police, more prisons and more exclusion, the authors suggest that we work against the grain and envision alternative systems based on community-based responses to trauma and oppression with mental health practitioners and community activists working together.

A Black autoethnography of grief and racial trauma during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Additionally, liberation psychology highlights relationships between mental health problems and oppression, as well as emotional well‐being and liberation. Such an approach may enable practitioners to go to the root of problems and directly challenge oppression by advocating for the explicit naming of oppression, reconnecting to a collective history of resistance and solidarity and drawing on peoples’ creativity while focusing on healing, restorative, and transformative justice (Afuape & Kerry Oldham, 2022). These recommendations can also be integrated in grief and social justice‐related graduate program courses in counselor education programs and continuing education programs to prepare future counselors.…”

“…Being a victim of discrimination or racism often results in grief because victims undergo loss of hope when perpetrators of their victimization get away with their actions without facing any legal consequences. This has been identified as a major flaw in the justice system (Afuape & Kerry Oldham, 2022; APA, 2017; Douglas et al., 2021). Citizens of various cities across the world were protesting about the murder of Floyd, and Black Americans in particular were tired of the injustices.…”

“…Researchers have suggested alternative systems to law enforcement overinvolvement, such as community-based mental health practitioners and community activists working collaboratively together to build new systems of community-based care (Afuape & Kerry Oldham, 2022). Mental health professionals must work as advocates to fight against systemic racism, which could increase trust between Black Americans and the counseling profession.…”