In The News: Social Work and Racial Justice

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Read media coverage related to social workers and the fight for racial justice.

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A USC office removes 'field' from its curriculum, citing possible racist connotations

NPR
An office within the USC School of Social Work is removing language that may have racist connotations. Some critics have said the move is taking political correctness too far. However, NASW President Mildred "Mit" Joyner said you cannot go too far in treating people with dignity and respect.


Learning to cope with Black trauma amid George Floyd and a pandemic

Tampa Bay Times
Black America is suffering from post-traumatic stress. The national racial reckoning with policing and the criminal justice system catalyzed by George Floyd’s death last year was difficult enough for Black Americans. That it happened amidst the coronavirus pandemic made it even more challenging, said Brittany Peters, director of the Center for Wellness and Clinical Development in Tampa, Fla.


Students accuse Bible college of racism as historic social work program is shuttered

The Washington Post
Troy Brindle, a former adjunct professor of social work at Cairn and a current member of NASW's national board, pointed to the creation of the graduate program last year, saying it doesn’t make sense to expand the program one year only to eliminate it the next.


Depression in Indigenous Communities: Cultural Understanding Matters

PsychCentral
Kylee Jones, an associate clinical social worker at Indigenous Circle of Wellness in Los Angeles, California, says that avoidance and resistance often arise as signs of intergenerational trauma — trauma handed down through generations and shared among members of a culture. “In many cases, our ancestors had to assimilate for survival, meaning our parents and elders may have punished us for saying or doing certain things that would otherwise be normal or praised,” Jones says.