Issue link: http://ncumarketing.uberflip.com/i/1296238
N O RT H C E N T R A L U N I V E R S I T Y: N C U M F T S U P E RV I S O R C O R N E R 1 6 COVID-19 is obviously the new pandemic; systemic racism towards indigenous people and persons of color is the longstanding one. Several recent incidents have cast into bold relief the scourges of racism, injustice, and the devaluing of human life in the U.S., particularly for African Americans. As a country, we were still reeling from the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Now we are struggling to cope with the murder of George Floyd. We are committed to diversity and inclusion in both the PhDMFT and DMFT programs. We encourage personal growth, intellectual accomplishment, global awareness, and respect and appreciation for diversity. The integration of social justice, cultural competency, and cultural humility is essential to our training as MFTs and is considered a lifelong element to the work we do personally and with clients. Our systems training underscores the importance of recognizing that interacting parts together function as a whole, so that whatever impacts one part of the system, impacts other parts of the system. We each have a part to play in doing this work. This means no matter how we identify racially, we must be actively antiracist, not just in our words, but in our actions. As a program, we recognize the importance of meeting students and clients where they are and supporting the ongoing need for growth and development in this area of our work as MFTs. We cannot underscore enough the importance of engagement in open dialogues, improving our ability to share, listen, and validate experiences of oppression, power, and privilege, and to be an ally in the promotion of social justice for all members and groups of our society. AAMFT's recent blog post, Resource for MFTs in a Racialized Climate, provides several resources to guide MFTs in countering racism and supporting Black people. In addition, the blog contains a list of recommended readings that discuss how to be antiracist as well as racial and social justice and approaches for working with Black communities. The post also includes resources for self-care and healing for persons of color. As healers, the work that we do within ourselves, in our communities, and through our work as MFTs is sure to have a systemic impact. Please reach out to me if you would like to dialogue or explore additional resources, ideas, and recommendations about how NCU and our program can better serve our students, our clients, and our communities, particularly those representing diverse, underserved, and/ or marginalized groups. Let's work together for a better tomorrow. It is our hope that all of us will continue to define what it means to not be neutral and to be actively antiracist. We welcome your input and collaboration on how we can best do so. - Mark White, PhD, LMFT MFT Doctoral Programs Director Reference Samuel, D. (2020, July/August). Our role as systemic therapists in dismantling systemic racism. Family Therapy Magazine, 19(4), 10-14.