We at Estes Therapy strive to create a safe space for our clients. A place for everyone and anyone regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, age, or national origin. While we have worked to create a diverse team – LGBTA+, Hispanic, Asian, American born and born abroad, men and women – we recognize that not everyone is represented. It can be disheartening when you don’t see something you identify with represented, especially when you are going to be diving into vulnerability as you do in therapy. Racism is a systematic problem in our country. While it will take more than our small private practice to change the entire country, we can do our part by taking a look at our practice, educating ourselves, and making changes.
We are working towards being better equipped to navigate these challenges and better able to support our black clients. We have put together a list of resources in the San Diego community that can best help with your needs. We will continue to add to this list as we learn about new resources and education opportunities. When facing anxiety and/or depression, if you don’t feel you have support it can be easy to turn to isolation, substances, overworking, impulsive spending, promiscuity, or other risky or harmful behaviors. With so much going on in the world and our society, it is more important than ever to be taking care of our mental health.
The intention of this page is to not only provide resources in the San Diego area for people of color, but to also provide learning resources for all those who want to educate themselves more on what it means to be black in America.
Community Resources:
- NAACP San Diego – You can learn more about the NAACP as well as find great resources from legal, to food, to housing, to job opportunities.
- NAACP North County has put together a great resource list with links – everything from history, to health, to government, to community organizations.
- Black Lives Matter official website
- SURJ San Diego (Facebook) – and the global Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) website
- March for Black Womxn San Diego
- The Loveland Foundation – National aid for black women and girls to receive therapy support
- Minnesota Freedom Fund – Bail funds
- DeDe McClure Community Bail Fund (Facebook) – Bail funds
- National Resource List – General information, Jail Support and Legal Support, Advice for Protesting and Social Media, Low Cost Ways to Help, Education, Bail and Memorial Funds (+mutual aid)
Anti-Racism Education
Online:
- Personal Leadership & Anti-Racism Classes for Becoming a Good Ancestor
- Ericka Hart webinars on Racial and Social Justice (bonus, there’s one on gender too!)
- Weeze (Louisa Doran) is a compassionate provocateur leading folks on their decolonization and anti-racism journey.
- Monique put together a self-paced, carefully curated resources on anti-racism
- Unpacking White Feminism
Autumn Gupta, with Bryanna Wallace’s oversight, put together a 30 day guideline on how to educate yourself and be a better ally in just 10, 25, or 45 minutes a day.
I only have a few minutes:
- Systematic Racism Explained (Youtube)
- Sesame Street talks racism (Videos – CNN)
- How To Talk To Your Kids About Race (Youtube)
- How To Be A White Ally – How White Shame Gets in the Way (Youtube)
Books:
- A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
- White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo and Michael Eric Dyson
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
- The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
- Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
- How to Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
- Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
- Antagonists, Advocates, & Allies by Catrice M Jackson
- So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence by Derald Wing Sue
Films & Series:
- Just Mercy (click here to watch FREE for the month of June; after June it’ll be available to rent on multiple platforms for $5.99) – Based on the life work of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy is one resource offered to those who are interested in learning more about the systemic racism that plagues our society. Stevenson defends a wrongly condemned Walter McMillian, encountering racism as well as legal and political maneuverings.
13th (currently on Netflix) – Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation’s prisons are disproportionately filled with African-Americans. - LA 92 (currently on Netflix) – This documentary examines the tumultuous period following the verdict in the Rodney King trial in 1992. The acquittal of four police officers for beating a black motorist saw several days of protests, violence and looting in Los Angeles.
- When They See Us (currently on Netflix) – This 4 part limited series follows five young people who were charged with an assault and rape they did not commit. The Central Park Five spent years fighting convictions despite their innocence.
- The Innocence Files (currently on Netflix) – This 9 episode limited series unravels the missteps and deceit of wrongful convictions, exposing injustice inflicted on victims and the accused.
Black Owned Businesses in San Diego:
- Business Directory (everything from accounting to clothing to dental to photography to fitness)
- Restaurants
We stand with our black friends, family, community, and those throughout our country. Our hearts go out to all those who have lost a loved one. To the friends and families of Eric Garner, Elijah McClain, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, Akai Gurley, India Kager, Alton Sterling, David McAtee, Eric Reason, Anthony Hill, Jamel Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, Chris Beaty, Renisha McBride, Jonathan Ferrell, Peter Gaines, Antwon Rose II, and so many more. This list is too long and it is only a fraction. The list is too long.
