Overcoming Barriers to Beloved Community for Wellness’ Sake
As a practitioner of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. philosophy on nonviolence and peace, I believe that BELOVED COMMUNITY is the bedrock to securing reconciliation among communities rife with legacies of mistrust, inequality and injustice.
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study comes to mind. If you’re not familiar with it, it was an unethical “study” in which Black men were tricked into believing that they were receiving treatment for syphilis, when in fact the purpose of the study was to examine the progression of syphilis – meaning the men in the study were left untreated and lied to by the U.S. government, which told them their syphilis was being treated. The so-called study went on for 40 years and left a natural distrust of the government among the Black community, creating barriers to vaccinations among some.
In order to break down these barriers, trust must be at the forefront. Business as usual or “get over it” will not cut it. Dr. King taught empathy by walking a mile in other’s shoes. This strategy will overcome mistrust as vaccinations roll out and healthcare professionals interact with various communities.
Prior to my own education on Dr. King’s philosophy, I viewed and responded to others and circumstances from my personal perspective, which was based on my experiences, cultural beliefs, values, and upbringing. Rarely did I pause to see it from another perspective and even more rare to see it from a perspective in conflict with my beliefs. Kingian Nonviolence and Peace has taught me to listen, to understand and ask “what happened to you?” as opposed to simply saying “what is wrong with you?”
In order to break down these barriers, trust must be at the forefront. Business as usual or “get over it” will not cut it.
As COVID-19 vaccinations roll out in America and across the globe, medical personnel must embrace empathy for those they interact with if the world is to have a successful recovery from COVID-19. Walking a mile in another’s shoes or pausing to understand cultural differences will be huge in building trust and bridges instead of misinformation and walls. The investment made up front – or front loading success – will pay off hugely on the back end with more people not only being vaccinated but becoming advocates on behalf of the process.
In conclusion, the Beloved Communities goal is why Dr. King and others worked so hard on behalf of marginalized communities around the world. What impacts one impacts ALL. May we keep that truth post-pandemic, so barriers to wellness and Beloved Communities will be eradicated forever.
Sam Alix is a co-founder of CHAMP, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing wellness activities to veterans and their families. Learn more at www.champ.vet.
Photo credit: Albretch Mueller, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons