For many Wind River Job Corps students, who are currently distance learning from home, the demonstrations around the nation are creating an emotional response. But the range of responses are broad – from enthusiastic energy hope for change, to fear and hurt watching videos of violence. Our mental health support staff in their outreach efforts, have been fielding questions and concerns from students.

Following the lead of our MTC President, Steve Marquardt, we have taken these events as an opportunity to develop conversations about racism and racist feelings, addressing the topic through our regular e-newsletter TalkAbout. In it we explore feelings associated with experiencing racism, as well as feelings that fuel racism, and provide avenues for coping with them.

The goal is to create safe social and emotional spaces for each other in which we can remember what’s happened to us related to race and racism; in which we can feel the feelings that go with those memories and the feelings we have today; and in which we can back each other to heal fully and become active together in helping to end racism.

TalkAbout Racism student publication