The Black Voices meetings are monthly roundtable discussions put on in collaboration with Black Students Success (BSS) and the Black Student Union (BSU). This month, their meeting was the day after elections, prompting a POC post-election discussion. The lead speaker identified the discussion as, “necessary regardless of who won.” They meditated, identified their feelings, poured out their perspectives, offered support and reinforced their power.
Some of the most pressing topics concerned strained relationships, what Trump represents to them, what the implications of his re-election are, and how they plan to move forward with resilience.
Considering the intense emotions of the discussion and the fraught topics at hand, the program coordinator of BSS established boundaries of confidentiality so that the students may express themselves as authentically as possible. Thus, coverage of this meeting has no quotes and few attributions.
Opening with Meditation
The discussion opened with calming the nervous system. A YouTube video was cast for the group of participants, many who were visibly shaken by the wake of Donald Trump’s re-election. The YouTube video was of a wise and composed woman referred to as Mama Iyanla that was titled, “Post Election Virtual Energy Healing and Rebalancing.” She provides guided meditation that includes grounding techniques and re-framing.
After this, the participants were encouraged to share what they were feeling and where they felt it. Some of the responses included that they were tired, annoyed, flabbergasted, and ready. Everyone had physical feelings of tension in their neck or pressure on their chest.
The program coordinator pointed out the importance of these exercises by explaining that the emotions can impact the physical, impacting overall health. She says discussions about fear and grief open opportunities to pour that energy out.
Strained Relationships
When reflecting on the unusually red election map for California, the discussants shared how eye-opening this was for them. They reiterated statements about the “illumination” of the truth, and “waking up” to the reality of the people they are surrounded by.
For some, that meant they were now at odds with close friends and family. They talked about political ideologies being a reflection of the self, indicating that who one votes for is a representation of what that individual truly thinks.
People shared that they were torn about these relationships, unsure as to whether they should cut those people out of their lives or simply put distance between them and set boundaries.
The Implications of His Re-Election
As they dug deeper into the reasons for the schisms between them and their loved ones the discussion hit on issues of race, gender, and what each candidate represents.
They agreed that Kamala Harris represents a woman of color that is powerful, composed, and intelligent. However, there was a concern that if Kamala Harris were elected as president, Black women of color would be targeted for hate crimes by Trump supporters.
One individual shared their passionate stance regarding the fact that republicans minimized the accomplishments of a highly accomplished woman in an attempt to nullify her credibility. She continued by juxtaposing her to Trump, expressing that he is not qualified for the presidency, yet is put on a pedestal.
They identify issues of race and gender as the root of such matters and divulge that his re-election reflects a society of white supremacy and patriarchy attributing these ideologies to Trump and his cult of personality.
Going back to ideas of “waking up” and “illuminating” the truth, all the red on the electoral map communicated to Black Voices that social progress is not being made, they further this position by saying people are being more open about their racism and misogyny by supporting and voting for Trump.
There was a response of solidarity to the fact that they must compartmentalize their fear of what society is as they tackle their days.
Moving Forward with Resilience
After venting their frustrations in an environment that welcomed them and offered safety they resolved to move forward with hope and strength.
They shared various ways they plan to enact justice in their lives from protesting and advocating for marginalized communities to raising their children mindfully. One point they most enthusiastically support is that of unifying communities of color in order to uplift and empower each other.
