Trigger Warning: anti-Black violence and police brutality.
On May 25, 2020 George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin, an officer in the Minneapolis Police Department. Along with him, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao were complicit officers who stood by and allowed for this horrific murder to happen. Police brutality, inherent racism, and anti-blackness has been a deep-rooted issue in this country from the beginning. The brutal murder of George Floyd, along with Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Mike Ramos, and countless tragic losses of black lives by law enforcement are explicit reminders of the systemically unjust society built on violence, oppression, and white supremacy.
We, as Mindful Journey, recognize our privilege as individual people, a group practice, and as a mental health community and cannot stay silent or complacent. As a community-based platform, we have the responsibility for advocating for others’ mental health and there is a dire focus for black mental health. Mindful Journey condemns all police brutality, covert and overt racism, and any and all anti-blackness that is well alive in our country today.
Mindful Journey recognizes that the anger, grief, sadness and trauma of racism and police brutality are real. As clinicians we listen and foster healing in our office. As members of Texas Counseling Association, we advocate to secure mental health care for all members in our community and throughout the state. We are taking a stand against institutions that maintain the status quo of marginalization and oppression.
We encourage you to recognize your privilege, uncover and identify your unconscious and conscious biases, and use your voice to speak up and out against all forms of oppression and hatred. We are doing this work alongside you.
Please let us know how we can support you in this time and we encourage you to openly have conversations about allyship, advocacy, and systemic change. Real change comes from discomfort, so it’s time to start breaking down these barriers.
With Loving Kindness,
Mindful Journey Counseling & Wellness, PLLC