Black Well-Being: Interview with Our CEO
There are a number of unique factors that affect the well-being of people within the black community a.k.a. “Black well-being.” Our Health and Life Coaches are equipped to support the well-being needs of this community. They focus on the individual while recognizing the community and identity aspects that may play a role in their overall well-being.
We interviewed our Founder & CEO Meigan Ward, who is a studying International Psychologist and Health and Life Coach. She shared her insights on the topic – based on her lived experiences and empirical research on mental health and the black community.
Here is the full interview!
What is Black well-being and how is it different than general well-being?
“I get this question a lot from people who are on a journey seeking to understand problem solving the human problems – meaning the problems unique to the experiences of humans on an individual, organizational and societal level.
Let’s start with a common human problem – burnout. Burnout is a health crisis named by the World Health Organization in the last few years. There are various factors that can put someone at risk for burnout. These burnout risk factors are typically found throughout the unique life experiences we each have. I’ll note that when evaluating these risk factors, I am always careful not to stereotype a person based solely on race/ethnic identity. Instead, I create the space for acknowledgment of different experiences that occur in historically marginalized identity groups. Especially, visible identity differences. So, “Black well-being” is the acknowledgment of factors that may reduce or increase the well-being of people with a shared visible identity.”
What are shared visible identities?
“Well, it’s two-fold. Starting with visible identities – which are traits that are visually available to the eye of others; whereas they can form a perception of your visual identity.
This concept of visible identities is so important to understand because it is the impetus that forms the challenge of biases for people who have a visible identity – a visible identity that has been historically marginalized.
Here’s the brief science on how our brains process visual information:
The externally visible information (e.g., a trait such as being visually perceived as black/AA based on visible skin color/hue) is received through the visual pathway to the cortex. So, from eyes to the surface of our brain. It is important to note that more than 50 percent of the cortex is devoted to processing visual information. As humans, we are wired to index heavily on appearance.
So now let’s tie in the second part – shared visible identities… people who look similar (i.e., share a visually evident identity) are categorized in the brain based on their appearances and we are then prone to acting as a result of the categorization. It’s why chivalry exists. A man would see, what they perceive as a woman, and act chivalrously toward her. Or, a person sees a black man with a hoodie on and thinks they might be dangerous. As a society, we make attempts to be wiser than our innate tendencies to act based on these visual categories. But, like anything else, some people “filter and validate” as they categorize better than others.
For those that do not do this filtering and validation step well, their interactions with people who have been historically marginalized can have multiplying negative affects on the well-being of marginalized folks. For example, the man with the hoodie is stared at or the police are called for no reason other than he seemed suspicious. He faces the feelings of isolation, social mistrust and even threats to his physical safety. The well-being of that man could be negatively impacted simply because of the visual identity of presenting as Black/AA. In turn, other Black men, who share a visible identity face similar obstacles in society, so this group has shared visible identities that have unique factors that impact their well-being.
There are also socio-economic factors that add to the unique needs of well-being for Black people, but for this conversation I want to highlight the most pressing factor, which is visible identity.”
What advice do you have for people in the Black community who may be dealing with burnout due to paying the Black Tax or working harder for less, all in the spirit of Black Excellence?
“Be careful in the demand for Black Excellence. It can promote Black exceptionalism which can harm the well-being of Black people. That is because exceptionalism can create an unforgiving level of performance expectations in various aspects of one’s life.
Instead, demand your humanization – which is key to balancing excellence and well-being.”
Can you tell us more about humanization? What advice do you have to demand humanization without compromising your professionalism?
“There are 3 main concepts in humanization, acceptance, respect and understanding of each other. First, a lesson I learned the hard way: The way to demand these three principles is to use consistent assertion and not consistent aggression. There were times in my career when I thought I needed to use constant aggression (because I was experiencing micro-aggressions before this term even became popular) when instead I needed to demand my acceptance, respect and understanding by removing myself from the toxic environment.
In a non-toxic environment, here are some ways to demand humanization without sacrificing your work ethic:
You are in control to ‘create the opportunity’ to be respected, accepted and understood – to be seen as a whole person. So, speak vividly about yourself (dreams, idiosyncracies, culture, family etc.). I know some people are not comfortable here, but they leave so much opportunity on the table if they don’t share the beauty of themselves and their culture with others. Our coaches help people empower themselves in this way.
Take an active interest in others’ humanization and draw circles around commonalities while celebrating differences. Do this in your daily interactions with other people.
You mentioned removing oneself from a toxic work environment. What if someone has difficulty doing so?
“It can be challenging setting boundaries and removing yourself from a toxic environment. Our Coaches help people learn how to set boundaries and, when needed, create the environment that best serves their well-being. Some of our clients have a toxic work situation that warrants a change in order to personally thrive. We love helping people excel this way!”
Learn more about how we help people thrive in ways that foster what’s best for their well-being. Contact us today!
