91成人AV

By Jenna Blyler

Storytelling is ancient and universal. For millennia and millennia more, the oral tradition of storytelling has starred in its own epic, allowing humans to convey essential and dynamic information about cultural values, family, food, inventions, land, and personal experiences critical for survival. Among Black communities, in particular, this tradition serves as a potent tool for healing and a rich testament to resilience in the face of historic and continued suffering. 

鈥淭he act of telling a story rather than internalizing it can be therapeutic and can prompt others to share their own experiences. Stories facilitate hope and can be a huge healing mechanism in the face of oppression,鈥� said licensed clinician and Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Victoria McNeil-Young. 

Prior to enslavement in America, Africans developed their societies on highly sophisticated religious systems and an intricate oral communication style. Nommo, which means 'the generative power of the spoken word,' was believed by many African societies to give humans mastery over the physical, spiritual and emotional worlds. When Africans came to America, they brought with them this tradition鈥攔ich in metaphor, imagery and nonverbal nuances鈥攚hich they kept close to them for hundreds of years as a powerful means of expression, survival and cultural preservation in the midst of ubiquitous abuse. 

To African cultures, words held power over the world, defined and redefined experience. Today, we know this to be true, particularly in the field of mental health. To investigate the healing power of storytelling, McNeil-Young and a team of fellow researchers interviewed a non-confidential group of Black racial justice activists: 

Geo Borden
Lauren Chapple
Michael Conigan
Michael Cunningham
Laina Dawes
Erika Dawkins
Micah McCreary
Aaron Moore
Michael "Quess?" Moore
Michelle Antoinette Nelson
Elena Stoodley
Lamin Swann 

鈥淚 wanted to investigate how the Black community uses stories to survive amid racial traumas. I find it illuminating to consider how individuals band together to get their needs met and demonstrate strength in the face of discrimination. Stories of resistance are powerful tools for anyone in the Black community on the micro, macro and global levels.鈥�

Synthesizing insights and themes revealed in the interviews with Black activists, McNeil-Young and team applied a clinical framework, called The Radical Healing Model, which is used to promote racial healing in communities of color. The Radical Healing Model posits that counseling treatments for BIPOC individuals should consider including the following strategies: collectivism, critical consciousness about anti-Black racism (ABR), radical hope, storying survival, and strength and resistance. 

Collectivism underscores the importance of allyship, solidarity and action in addressing ABR and promoting Black well-being. This helps validate people鈥檚 experiences, reminds them that they are not alone and highlights the actionable nature of advocacy. Critical consciousness about ABR focuses on developing a deep understanding of racial inequality鈥攖he historical and contemporary manifestations of racism, power dynamics and social structures that perpetuate the imbalance. Radical hope is an encouragement to envision a future free from racial oppression, drawing strength from cultural heritage. To help people challenge ABR, the strength and resistance aspect of the model provides clear strategies to build self-knowledge and interest in collective action. The final chapter, storying survival, is what Black people have been bravely doing all along鈥攈ealing one another with stories of survival and resistance to ABR through hope, pride and creativity. 

The notion that speech molds our identities is a fundamental aspect of Afrocentric existentialism, which is deeply interwoven in modern African American culture and art. From comedy and hip hop to jazz and orature, from prayers and proverbs to spoken word poetry and theater, storytelling persists. McNeil-Young observed how these art forms are used in activism in the interviews. Michael "Quess?" Moore, for example, shared about his play "Voices of the Back of the Class," which provided a platform for him and his peers to narrate their educational journeys through skits and story circles. Similarly, Elena鈥檚 radio show featured interviews with incarcerated Black individuals, amplifying voices often sidelined and silenced by the criminal justice system.

McNeil-Young described how this study deeply shaped her therapeutic approach. With her BIPOC clients, she often asks how the stories in their lives鈥攖old about themselves, others, or their communities鈥攈ave impacted them. They explore the survival strategies embedded in each narrative, and then use counter-storytelling techniques to challenge ones that are harmful and untrue. 

鈥淪ociety is rife with narratives concerning marginalized groups, some of which are accurate and beneficial while others are not. Through the practice of storying survival, individuals from the BIPOC community can discern which narratives to embrace and which to resist,鈥� reflected McNeil-Young. Growing up, her mother would retell the stories of how her grandmother, a strong woman and advocate, actively resisted racialized violence during the 1920s, at a time when she faced severe discrimination. McNeil-Young鈥檚 mother empowered her through these stories, influencing McNeil-Young to story survival in her own life.

At the university, McNeil-Young actively contributes to updating and diversifying the JU community. As the chair of the College of Arts and Sciences DEI task force, she works to ensure that COAS is an inclusive and equitable environment for students, faculty and staff. Additionally, as a member of the Experiential Learning committee, she reviews and approves new DEI courses. Impressively, she introduced two new courses to the curriculum: Black Psychology and The Power of Difference. These courses align with institutional and college-level objectives aimed at enhancing diversity within academic offerings. 

Tailored for advanced undergraduate students, Black Psychology delves into the research, theories and paradigms essential for comprehending the attitudes, behaviors, psychosocial aspects and educational realities of Black individuals. The Power of Difference course blends the disciplines of psychology and sociology and serves as the flagship class for the 91成人AV DEI minor. This class was offered for the first time in Spring 2024. By providing students with a platform to engage with topics that transcend traditional boundaries, these courses contribute to creating a more inclusive and culturally aware academic environment at JU. McNeil-Young also co-directs the JU Psychology Club and serves as a member of the Academic Standards committee. She is often a keynote speaker and workshop leader too, teaching storying survival at Headspace 91成人AV, Arizona State University, and the University of North Carolina Charlotte.

Stories wield immense power for societal and personal transformation. McNeil-Young鈥檚 research urges mental health practitioners to incorporate storytelling into their own work with Black clients, particularly those grappling with racial trauma. Additionally, storytelling serves as cultural capital, bolstering survival and resistance against ABR. It is also crucial, she urges, for psychology programs to train students in storytelling, addressing racial trauma and equipping them with cultural insights to better understand themselves and their clients. 

鈥淭he nature of systemic oppression and institutional racism is to instill a sense of hopelessness, a feeling that nothing can be done to resist injustice, but we want people to know that there are tools they can use to dismantle oppression,鈥� McNeil-Young concludes. 鈥淭here are many things we can do to create a better society for ourselves and generations to come, and storying survival is one way for us to do that.鈥�