When George Floyd was brutally murdered in the summer of 2020, a wave of activism spread across the country.
people protested. The anti-racism book became a bestseller. Diversity, equity, and inclusion jobs increased by 55%, and America’s top 50 publicly traded companies pledged $49.5 billion to address racial justice issues.
At the same time as this racial reckoning, COVID-19 has disproportionately affected communities of color in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Additionally, rates of anxiety and depression among Black people were rising rapidly.
As an assistant professor of social work practice and executive director of the nonprofit Coalition of Black Social Workers, I’m curious about how Black social workers have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and rising racial tensions. I felt that it was necessary to evaluate whether the
As social workers, we are mental health professionals trained to prioritize social justice.
But how do we respond when faced with the collective trauma of a global pandemic and the mental and emotional impact of racism?
lack of empathy
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the systemic racism that persisted into 2020, my research team investigated social workers’ symptoms of depression, anxiety, discrimination-related trauma, and quality of life. We conducted a study to evaluate.
The results showed a significant increase in depression and anxiety among the 113 Black social work professionals we surveyed.
Perhaps the more surprising finding was that 85% of black social workers were deeply disappointed in the lack of empathy shown by their white social worker colleagues.
One Black respondent talked about a conversation he had with a white coworker about racial protests and reported that the coworker was nonchalant and dismissive.
Another black respondent recalled that her white social work supervisor did not provide her with any kind of mental health support.
Black social workers expected sympathy and empathy from their colleagues, but instead their problems were trivialized and treated negatively. As a result, they found themselves disappointed and hurt by their colleagues’ lack of understanding.
Limits of diversity efforts
The false behavior of some social workers to appear supportive and involved in social justice issues when in fact they are not is known as performative allyship.
In my mind, this is akin to checking off a list to see if you’re making progress when the reality is very different.
Our research shows that instead of Black social workers finding real support at work, many feel discouraged and exhausted, and limit their interactions with white colleagues at work to protect themselves from further distress. We found that you reported that you chose to do so.
It’s no surprise that most Black social workers found the most support for their well-being and mental health. Throughout 2020, 95% reported that family and close friends were important to their health.
the limits of mere words
Since desegregation in 2020, social workers have proudly worked to close the social justice gap.
For example, “eradication” became social work’s official grand agenda in 2020. As part of this effort, the National Association of Social Workers has published two volumes, “Eliminating Racism in Social Work.” Additionally, the Council on Social Work Education’s Anti-Racism Standards are now part of the 2022 Education Policy and Accreditation Standards.
But as a profession, just using terms like anti-racism in book titles and standards means little if Black social workers still report feeling ignored by white colleagues .
At a time when social work leaders are concerned about writing statements of solidarity on social media, joining anti-racist book clubs, and checking another diversity box, Black people Social workers feel invisible, unheard, and worse, unimportant.