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There are many issues of pressing concern for Black Christians in America, such as ensuring Black lives matter in our churches, reaching Black youth with the gospel, discipling the next generation of Black church leaders, battling white Christian nationalism, and identifying ways the church can address the impact of racial disparities in our country.

But a concern in my own life as a Black Christian woman is examining how the church can help Black women remove the damaging mantle of the strong Black woman. Living by this narrative can result in destructive and deadly mental and physical health outcomes for Black women. Add to these negative outcomes the stigma associated with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, and the result is too many Black women hiding their true concerns for fear of stigmatization.

However, the church is uniquely positioned to help Black women seek both therapeutic and theological support as we face and address our mental health challenges.

Researchers consistently identify three characteristics associated with the strong Black woman framework: emotional restraint, independence, and self-sacrifice. Strength is a badge of honor Black women have worn for generations.

This narrative likely arose from the personal and cultural experiences of Black women (e.g., during the centuries of race-based chattel slavery that saw us maintaining the family structure while enduring abuse and torture) and the societal demands on Black women (e.g., fighting race- and gender-based discrimination during Jim Crow and aiding the civil rights movement). We embraced being strong out of fear of appearing weak.

For too many years, I embraced the ideology of the strong Black woman. She could bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan. She did not need to ask for help because she could do it allshe was a successful wife, mother, professional, ministry leader, volunteer, and friend. She possessed Black girl magic and inspired everyone in her sphere of influence. I wanted to be this strong Black woman, so I became her. Like so many of my ancestors, I wore my strength as a badge of honor.

Unfortunately, this strength narrative did not allow for the expression of my vulnerabilities or flaws. Instead, I ignored my legitimate mental health concerns in favor of presenting an image of strength to others. I believed the lie that I could not openly express my struggles with depression and anxiety. I hid my mental health challenges in an effort to maintain the faade of being a woman who had it all together.

Like me, Black women who subscribe to the strong Black woman ideology may experience acute mental health challenges. For example, a recent research study revealed that depression may manifest differently for Black women. According to the study, rather than reporting feelings of sadness and hopelessness, Black women report self-criticism, self-blame, and irritability as the hallmarks of depression.

The findings in this study align with my personal experiences. I did not believe I had the luxury, as a Black woman, of feeling sad or hopelessespecially in my public-facing lifebecause those realities speak to weakness, not strength. Consequently, I resorted to criticizing and blaming myself for the problems in my life, which only exacerbated my depression and anxiety.

Aligning my life to this ideology was killing meliterally. I sought to personify the strong Black woman at the expense of my mental and physical health. Living by the narrative of being a woman who could suppress her emotions while independently handling tasks for the benefit of others, whether at home, work, church, or in the community, was damaging and dangerous for me.

More than one doctor informed me of the importance of managing my mental health, which was having a direct impact on my physical health. Over several years of living the strong Black woman life, I received multiple diagnoses for maladies that could eventually take my life if I did not get my mental health issues under control.

In 2015 and 2016, I faced a bout of severe depression. The self-blame was constant. I just could not seem to shake off the feelings of exhaustion and defeat. I criticized myself because I had difficulty functioning normally. I put on a fake smile while I was in public and continued to serve in my church and actively participate in ministry as I kept my mental health struggles to myself. I knew there was a stigma about mental illness in many churches, and I honestly did not know how my church family would react if they found out I was struggling with depression and suicidal ideation.

One day in 2016, when someone at church asked me how I was doing, I did not want to be strong anymore. I responded, Im struggling with depression. It was not easy to admit I was struggling, but I was tired of faking itI was tired of trying to appear to be something I was not. I was not okay, and I realized that was okay.

To my surprise, my honesty and vulnerability that day opened the door to my healing. Heres why: My church family did not shame or shun meinstead, they embraced and supported me when I needed them most. My pastor and elders rallied around me and encouraged me to seek both spiritual and psychological assistance. I shudder to think what might have happened if I had not received their love and support.

By letting me take off my strong Black woman cape, my church family gave me a chance to live, heal, and see my value beyond an unrealistic and unhealthy pursuit of strength. And they continue to do so when I face setbacks in my mental health journey.

I believe churches, with proper training and resources, can be a source of community and support for Black womenand all womenwho need to remove the mantle of strength and replace it with the blessing of empathy and compassion.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), each year, 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness, and 1 in 20 adults experience serious mental illness. These statistics reveal a startling realityour churches are most likely filled with people who are struggling with mental illness. Even as we profess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we still face anxiety, depression, and a myriad of other psychological challenges because we live in a fallen world.

I want to offer a few ways churches can help Black women who are struggling with mental health issues resulting from subscribing to the strong Black woman narrative.

1. Teach and preach about the reality of mental health issuesthat it is okay to not be okay.

The Bible is replete with examples of people facing mental health challenges:

These examples offer an important reminder: Our spirits are sometimes disturbed and devastated by the situations we face because we live in a sin-filled world. The prevalence of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and other challenges in the lives of biblical characters mirrors the reality of these challenges in our modern-day society and churches.

By normalizing mental health concerns, churches will allow Black women to feel less isolated and more comfortable acknowledging their own struggles.

2. Emphasize community as essential to the Christian life.

In Genesis 2:18 and Romans 12:45, we learn about the importance of community. God created us for communityto live life together, not in isolation. If a woman knows she can rely on her church community to stand in the gap for her when shes struggling, then she will be better able to address her mental health concerns.

By letting me honestly express my mental health struggles and showing me it is okay to not be okay, my church family saved my life. I did not feel so alone. Churches can stand in the gap for those who may not be able to pray, seek, or worship God for themselves. Churches have an opportunity to literally save lives.

3. Offer empathy and compassion to Black women who share about their mental health challenges.

The church played a major role in my healing process by allowing me to express my vulnerabilities and by offering me empathy and compassion. I believe the church can serve as an important part of the healing process for so many of my sisters who also need to refuse to play into the strong Black woman narrative.

One way church leaders can show empathy and compassion is by being open about their own mental health issues. Another way is by readily embracing, rather than shunning, a woman who shares her mental health concerns. Churches can provide a safe place for women to remove their superhero capes by offering encouragement and support.

4. Invest time and resources into supporting women who are facing mental health challenges.

Finally, churches can offer local and online psychological resources to its members. I am not suggesting that churches must take on the responsibility of providing mental health services; however, churches can equip themselves to readily offer referrals and lists of resources to members who are facing mental health challenges.

Churches with ministry capacity and financial resources can offer training to their leadersboth ministerial and administrativeon the basics of mental health. Furthermore, those leaders who provide spiritual counseling to church members should receive more extensive training on recognizing mental health concerns. This investment could save lives.

Churches are uniquely positioned to give Black women permission to let go of the strong Black woman narrative and to exchange it for the reality that its okay to not be okay. Through community, empathy, and compassion, the church can help women find true healing and identity in Christ.

T. K. Floyd Foutz is an attorney turned Bible teacher. In addition to mentoring and speaking, she teaches Bible studies online and at her local church in San Antonio.

Read more:
How the Church Can Help Black Women Heal - ChristianityToday.com

Since 2020, Seattle's Parks and Recreation Department has often warned that it intended to take down or relocate a Black Lives Matter garden in Cal Anderson Park, despite support for the garden from some community members. On Wednesday, the department finally followed through on that intention and removed the garden.

"In recent months, the temporary garden has created unsafe conditions for all park users, including the vandalism of Cal Anderson public bathrooms, public drug use, unauthorized camping, and a significant rodent problem, along with other issues," the city's Parks Department said in a statement Wednesday.

RELATED: Cal Anderson BLM garden to be removed by city despite pushback

The removal is the latest chapter in the garden's three-year story, which has been filled with dueling voices over its place in Seattle's Black Lives Matter movement and protests against police violence.

The department said that the "makeshift garden" was removed due to public health and public safety issues. The statement said that the area required maintenance, such as reseeding and turf restoration.

As part of the removal, Seattle's Unified Care Team also cleared a nearby encampment. Parks officials noted that this is the 76th time the city has "resolved" encampments in Cal Anderson Park in 2023 alone.

While an online petition to keep the garden received more than 5,000 signatures, city parks officials said there was also "significant feedback" from the public favoring moving the garden to another location in the park. The area where it was located, called the "Sun Bowl," is intended for large gatherings in the park. The department said this made the location of the garden inappropriate.

The Parks Department also said it will partner with Black Farmers Collective and leaders in Seattle's Black community to create a new garden at Cal Anderson Park. Among the voices in that partnership is Councilmember-elect Joy Hollingsworth, who is slated to represent District 3 where Cal Anderson Park is located.

We should continue to maintain all Seattle parks to be safe, clean and welcoming," Hollingsworth said in a statement. "Cal Anderson Park is the living room of Capitol Hill and a focal point of our city. Its important that we prioritize sanitary conditions within shared public spaces so that our neighborhoods can continue to flourish."

BrownGirlFarmer's Mariay Rose Jones also commented: "As a 20-year-old farmer, navigating the fields of the Black Lives Matter Memorial Garden as the Brown Girl Farmer has been a complex journey. Sadly, each attempt to immerse myself in farming activities has been overshadowed by the pervasive drug activity within the space. For someone of color like me, this Memorial Garden seems far from representing the essence of farming and agriculture."

Families of Charleena Lyles and Che Taylor, two Black Seattle residents killed by police, also issued statements criticizing the memorial garden, going so far as to accuse it of "hijacking the movement" while having no contact with families affected by police violence. Seattle/King County NAACP called the garden "white co-opting."

Still, over the past three years, the garden has amassed some local support. For example, Birds Connect Seattle issued a statement in 2022, supporting the preservation of the garden.

The garden emerged during 2020's protests against police brutality, following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. When CHOP was established around Seattle's Cal Anderson Park, some protesters developed the area as a garden. It has been known as the Black Lives Matter Memorial Garden ever since, and has been maintained by the Black Star Farmers collective. The collective told KNKX in October that the garden was part of a mutual aid effort and provided free food on Wednesdays.

Also in October, Black Star Farmers issued a statement that the garden "symbolizes a deep connection to this city's legacy of occupation protests led by poor and working-class queer people of color," and that since it was founded, the "garden has expanded beyond its symbolic representation of resistance against violent state oppression to become an active community hub for mutual aid networks, food distribution, and political education for serving the needs of the most marginalized in the Capitol Hill neighborhood."

In early December, organizers of the garden told KUOW that it was initially larger, and even had a greenhouse. Its size has dwindled over time through a combination of city sweeps, and people taking things from it or destroying parts of it. They also said that the city's Parks and Recreation Department tried to remove the garden multiple times in the past, but has never attempted to talk with organizers about why the garden is important to them.

In its statement, Parks Department officials said: "SPR has been in frequent communication with community activists since 2020 offering alternative locations for a garden, both within Cal Anderson Park, as well as in other Seattle parks. Unfortunately, Seattle Parks good faith conversations have not produced an alternative location acceptable to the organizers of the temporary garden. Seattle Parks and Recreation remains committed to an ongoing dialogue to produce an alternative garden site."

See the original post here:
Seattle crews remove Black Lives Matter garden in Cal Anderson Park - KUOW News and Information

(Images with permission to CHS)

The Black Lives Memorial Garden has been cleared from Capitol Hills Cal Anderson Park.

Seattle Police blocked off streets as city crews cleared the gardens structures and plots from the fenced-off area on the south end of the park on Wednesday morning of the quiet holiday week.

There were no reports of garden supporters or protesters during the work and no reported arrests. The garden was established by volunteers and demonstrators during the Black Lives Matter and CHOP protest in the summer of 2020.

In October, the parks department pulled back on plans to remove the garden as crews faced off with garden supporters and the Black Star Farmersorganizers.

Seattle Parks has maintained the garden needed to be removed for a planned turf restoration project in the parks grass bowl area that officials said is needed to host gatherings and large events as part of its intentional design as a natural amphitheater and proximity to electrical and water hook-ups. Seattle Parks says it has offered to work with the group that helped shape the initial garden and that stewarded the space over the years to relocate the garden in the park or move it to another location including a space behind the Rainier Community Center.

Black Star Farmers said the garden should remain where it was created in June 2020. Forceful displacement of community projects like BLMG is consistent with violent state projects like imperialism, colonization, and gentrification, the group said in its call to action asking for public support against moving the garden.

Earlier this month, two people were reported arrested in a conflict with police as a homeless encampment was cleared from the other end of the park. In November, cops and a clearance crew moved campers out of the Black Lives Memorial Garden area.

Community groups involved in reshaping Cal Andersons uses in the wake of CHOP have spoken out against the citys decision and the Cal Anderson Park Alliancecommunity group says it did not ask for the city to restore the amphitheater bowl grass.

UPDATE: The parks department has issued a statement on the removal and says encampments were also cleared:

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Read the original post:
City clears Black Lives Memorial Garden from Cal Anderson Park - CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News

After Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) threatened to destroy the Black Lives Memorial Garden in October, the department made good on their promise, wiping out one of the last physical relics of the historic 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and CHOP/CHAZ early Wednesday morning.

SPR wrote in an email that Mayor Bruce Harrell and the City will partner with the Black Farmers Collective and other Black community leaders to plan a new commemorative garden in Cal Anderson. Black Star Farmers, the group that stewards the now demolished garden, said the Citys actions dont encourage any sort of collaboration. But, Black Star Farmers Marcus Henderson said, We must continue to organize communities to reconnect to the land and build solidarity. Black Star Farmers plan to reactivate a community garden in NewHolly next year.

The garden survived three-and-a-half years of the City wanting to move it or mow it over. To be so real, theres no reason to hate on the Black Lives Memorial Gardensince the summer of 2020, highly trained, sustainable agriculture experts at Black Star Farmers (and anyone who wanted to help) grew native plants that produced free food and herbal medicine for the community. But given the public comments SPR collected about the garden, it seems that the people who didnt like the garden were whites who imagined a BIPOC-led garden must be racist. Like, dude, so many white people defended that garden, so if you, as a white person, didnt feel welcome, maybe it's because you have bad vibes. Just a thought.

In the latest attempt to push the garden out, SPR offered the Black Star Farmers a new location behind the Rainier Community Center earlier this year, though offer is kinda a weird word choice on my part considering Black Star Farmers did not want to move an inch, let alone five miles from their original location. To move because the City told them to would go against the spirit of the garden, which continues the legacy of the occupied protest it sprung from.

Black Star Farmers declined the new location, because duh, and the City decided it would not take no for an answer. Also because duh.

So on October 4, SPR emailed Black Star Farmers to give them a heads up that they would rip their roots out of the ground starting October 13 so the department could restore the turf and return the space to its intended use as a natural amphitheater.

In more recent messaging, SPR started to lean on arguments against public drug use and camping, implying that ridding the park of the community-led garden, and replacing it with one that Harrell can take credit for, would somehow cure addiction and make people un-homeless. Hmm.

As Black Star Farmers wrote in a press statement, The conditions of the garden expose the reality of the people who actively care for and use the space. The state has claimed that they were removing the garden because of public health and safety, but the garden did not create the conditions for the unhoused crisis and drug epidemic. Removing the garden is a theatrical and reactionary response to systemic issues designed to placate the landlords, bosses, and politicians intent on extracting labor from poor and working-class people.

After SPRs announcement, Black Star Farmers sent an email blast to their supporters, hoping to build a campaign to save the garden. The group made headlines, earned sympathy from people with half a heart online, and mobilized dozens of people to physically defend the garden when the City showed up several mornings in the past two months.

Some organizers speculated that their large presence scared off SPR, particularly on October 24 when SPR came to Cal Anderson with a CAT vehicle.

A few garden supporters even joked that SPRs best bet would be to swoop in on a day when everyone went to a protest for Palestine. Now, some speculate that SPR took advantage of the infamously disorienting period between Christmas and New Years to destroy the garden in front of a smaller audience. SPR did not respond to my question about timing.

Even though they could not stop SPR Wednesday morning, Black Star Farmers and the garden supporters arent admitting defeat. In a press release, Black Star Farmers said, This pattern of violence only continues to show that we as people need to stand up together to resist the oppression we all face. We ask that all of you reading this pay critical attention to the policies and practices of the City and join us in organizing for resolutions that truly address the needs of our communities.

Read the original here:
The City of Seattle Destroyed the Black Lives Memorial Garden - The Stranger

Mayor Bruce Harrell held a press conference Friday morning to welcome the five City Councilmembers-elect to City Hall in advance of the Jan. 2 swearing-in ceremony.

Councilmembers-elect Rob Saka, District 1; Joy Hollingsworth, District 3; Maritza Rivera, District 4; Cathy Moore, District 5; and Bob Kettle, District 7 stood with Harrell on the seventh floor of City Hall to emphasize their commitment to collaboration and transparency.

We have some excitement and some energy on the kinds of things we want to do together, said Harrell. And I trust that they will lead with integrity, with passion, with intelligence.

In his remarks, Harrell said that he expects to work with the new Councilmembers on public safety, homelessness, affordable housing and basics like constituent services and fixing potholes.

All five incoming Councilmembers ran on platforms that largely aligned with Harrells priorities, especially when it comes to public safety, where they promised to hire more police, expand the newly launched dual dispatch pilot program, address the drug crisis and more. Harrell endorsed Saka, Hollingsworth, Rivera and Moore in the general election.

The Councilmembers-elect also benefited from the backing of business and real estate in the greater Seattle area, which spent more than $1 million on their campaigns through independent political committees.

Each Councilmember-elect gave brief remarks Friday morning.

Saka re-emphasized his public safety goals and noted the historic moment theyre a part of with such high turnover on the Council. According to the City Archivist, the last turnover of five Councilmembers in a single election in the bodys modern history happened in 1970. There were larger turnovers between 1886 and 1910, but the Councils size and term lengths were different, making it an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Hollingsworth said shes been meeting with community and public safety groups in her district, City Hall staff and others to get up to speed before shes sworn in. We know that this process will take time. We know that everyone wants a sense of urgency. But we also understand that its a process.

Rivera said she was humbled by her election and that she is looking forward to getting this city back to the vibrant state so our kids are really thriving here, as well as all of us.

Moore said shes been working on assembling her team, recognizing the role that Council staffers play in Councilmembers success. She said one of her top goals is to get sidewalks in every neighborhood, a particularly pressing issue for her North Seattle district.

Kettle reiterated the message of collaboration and his goals to foster it within the Council body and with the mayor. Ultimately, its about leading with compassion, but then also wisdom and having balance. Balance is, like, my new favorite word, and Im looking forward to leading with that balance.

The five electees join District 2 Councilmember Tammy Morales and District 6 Councilmember Dan Strauss, who were reelected to second terms in November along with at-large Councilmember Sara Nelson, whose first term ends in 2025.

One of their first tasks in January will be to appoint a replacement for at-large Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who was elected to the King County Council in November and begins that new role at the start of January.

More here:
Seattle removes Black Lives Matter garden from Cal Anderson Park - Crosscut