Hate has no place at Vikara Village. We cannot ignore that Black Americans have faced wrongful oppression since the beginning of our country’s history. We are devastated by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and the countless other Black lives that have been taken as a result of police brutality and systemic racism. The COVID-19 pandemic has also exposed the inequities Black communities face in their day-to-day lives. Black lives matter, and we must continue this conversation.
Black Americans make up only 13% of the country’s population, but account for 22% of deaths connected to COVID-19. Many Black Americans face disproportionate vulnerability factors, such as lack of adequate housing, transportation, and financial security, making social distancing much more difficult. The systemic inequalities in the United States are leading to community-level vulnerability that is inherently tied to race.
It is important for organizations engaged in wellness efforts to recognize the disproportionate impact criminal justice and public health trauma have on our Black community. According to the US HHS Office of Minority Health, Black adults are 20% more likely to report serious psychological distress than white adults and are more likely to have feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness. And greater rates of psychiatric problems, like anxiety, have been reported among Black adolescents. Here i n DC, 60% of teens received no treatment for their Major Depressive Disorder. Black Americans also disproportionately experience toxic stress, but are less likely to talk about it.
Our founder, Hannah Davis, is a Black and white, multi-racial woman who understands this firsthand. Growing up, she experienced pressure to constantly be the best, leading to years of undiagnosed depression and anxiety. Hannah started self-medicating to help escape her reality. She found her way into a free yoga class, and on her mat is where she finally gained a sense of clarity she’d never experienced. She created Vikara Village and its diverse programs with the mindset that each of us has our own story and everyone deserves to have a healthy sense of self, community and belonging.
As an organization whose purpose is to build more resilient citizens through yoga and the arts, we recognize that Black Americans, like Hannah, face unfair systemic barriers in becoming their most empowered selves. We have the responsibility to create diverse, welcoming, and safe spaces where racial trauma is acknowledged and Black voices are uplifted--not only during national movements and nationwide protests, but always.
We encourage all members of the Vikara community to work towards educating ourselves on issues of diversity and inclusion, sign petitions, donate, uplift unheard voices and contact representatives. Here is a link to an aggregate of resources for education and activism, blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/, and to Black mental health resources, blackmentalhealthmatters.carrd.co/. Black lives matter. And Black mental health matters.
Yours in solidarity,
Vikara Village