"Still I Rise" workshop encourages black female students to prioritize mental health
For marginalized students, attending a predominantly white institution, such as the University of Maryland, comes with unique challenges that place several pressures on minority students, especially women of color, said psychologists from the Counseling Center.
Shealyn J. Blanchard, Ph.D., and Kimberly Y. Campbell, Ph.D., led a discussion and workshop called “Still I Rise: Standing up to What Can Get Black Women Down” on Nov. 19 in the Thurgood Marshall room in the Stamp Student Union. The counseling center partnered with the Office of Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy to provide students ways to better navigate anxiety, microaggressions, anxiety and imposter syndrome.
Blanchard and Campbell led exercises to encourage participants to pay attention to their emotions, thoughts and behaviors. They began with a simple breathing exercise to reduce stress levels. They directed students to breathe in, hold their breath for four counts and breathe out for four counts. Repeating these steps for one to five minutes can greatly reduce your anxiety or stress levels in any situation, the presenters said.
According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 10% more likely to experience serious psychological distress, which is a term used to describe unpleasant feelings or emotions that impact one’s level of functioning. African Americans, especially women, are more likely to experience physical symptoms related to mental health problems, such as headaches and digestive disorders. Campbell told students that one in seven black women will experience depression in their lifetime.
One of the unique challenges that marginalized students face is integrating multiple identities containing multiple minority statuses, such as being LGBTQ, a woman, coming from a less privileged social class, following certain religions and more. Adding these factors with microaggressions can take a major toll on one’s mental and physical health.
“By taking care of your mind, you’re taking care of your body,” Campbell said.
Blanchard discussed one phenomenon that can significantly impact one’s emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes introduced imposter syndrome in 1978. The syndrome involves someone questioning his or her intellectual abilities, leading to thoughts and feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success.
“We don’t know how to accept our accomplishments,” Blanchard said.
Acknowledging your feelings, personal strengths and moments of growth are key to combating negative self-talk, according to Blanchard. She and Campbell suggested that everyone should implement a self-care routine and find an accountability partner to do weekly, monthly and yearly check-ins with. The presenters gave attendees a packet that included a self-care contract, self-care activities and various ways to relieve stress.
Campbell advised the students in the room to go to friends, teachers, family, peers or even a therapist to vent their frustrations and release psychological tensions.
“We stand on the shoulders of people who came before us. We have to make sure our minds and bodies are taken care of,” Campell said.
The presenters concluded the workshop with Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise.”
Chisom Onwuegbu, a senior psychology major, said she appreciated the event and “thought it was nice to understand the stigma of mental health in the community.”
Onwuegbu explained that she knew there was a stigma of mental health in the black community and among black females, but she liked how the presenters discussed the origin and why certain older people like baby boomers have contributed to the stigma.
Something else that Onwuegbu took away from the event was the understanding that thoughts are related to beliefs and facts.
“You shouldn’t always take a thought as a fact. You should always check it,” Onwuegbu said. “You don’t always think about the right things. It’s good to counteract those illogical parts.”
Janai Raphael, a second-year master’s student in the higher education program and MICA coordinator for black student involvement, said the inspiration behind the Still I Rise event evolved from Nyumburu’s Black Male Leadership Series. Raphael explained that MICA wanted to start a series of events for black women on campus, as well.
“We’re going to do a different number of programs around different issues or causes in the black community that typically impact black women,” Raphael said.
My-Asia Chaplin, a senior global health equity and advocacy major, partnered with Raphael to help organize the event. Chaplin said that her hope for the event was that predominantly black audiences could come together to discuss topics that the community does not “normally get the safe space to discuss these types of topics.”
“People can come and share their own narratives, and we can kind of connect on that level in a very intimate setting with some professionals who have experience facilitating these types of dialogues,” Chaplin said.