We need to talk. Those of us who have experienced abuse or are carrying intergenerational trauma, need to speak and be heard, to heal. Feeling alone increases the traumatic effect of painful experiences, while feeling supported, heard, and validated, can be deeply healing.
Sharing helps us heal, but in the wrong setting it can actually make things worse. It’s important to have spaces where you are safe to talk about what happened to you, where you won’t be judged or shamed; you won’t be silenced because your pain is making others uncomfortable. This is why Kawiria Creed and I are creating a Safe Space for people in our community who have endured racist abuse.
When we spoke last week about how to get the word out, we both noticed our hesitancy to put an ad online or even hang up posters in town. Why? For the very reason that we were creating the group in the first place - fear of further abuse.
We’ve both been on the receiving end of hurtful, abusive comments when we advertised healing or supportive group activities in town, and although we are aware that many of those comments come from people who may be struggling mentally and emotionally with their own issues, it has still caused damage.
Who else is going through this? We wondered. How are the BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of colour) handling the various expressions of racism in town, from micro aggressions to overt?
“I think back to every time something racially insensitive or harmful happened to me and I had no one to talk to about it, and no way to process," Kawiria shared. "I carried it with me. If one person has an experience like that and thinks, ‘I have someone to talk to about this. I’ll bring it to the support group,’ if this happens for just one person, it will be worth it.”
If you experienced racism yesterday, you are welcome to join us and talk about it. If you experienced racism 40 years ago, you are welcome to come and share. If you feel sad or angry when you think about what your parents or grandparents went through in colonial times, you are welcome to join us and feel safe expressing your feelings.
We will be meeting on Tuesday, February 11 and 25, at the Elks Hall, at 11:00 a.m. As the group is new and evolving, the time and location for future meetings may change, so please be in touch with Kawiria or myself if you plan to attend, so that you have accurate information.
