May 2020

By Jelani Cobb, The New Yorker Magazine, May 9, 2020 The most basic conception of racial profiling holds that it is a form of institutionalized bias practiced by police departments in which the color of a person’s skin is considered a barometer of criminality. This idea is problematic enough on its face, but our experience in the eight years since Trayvon Martin ’s death has complicated this issue greatly. Martin was killed by a civilian—a self-appointed neighborhood watchman—who had no...

By Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, May 7, 2020 Evelynn Hammonds, who chairs Harvard’s department of the history of science, has spent her career studying the intersection of race and disease. She wrote a history of New York City’s attempt, a century ago, to control diphtheria, and is currently at work on a book of essays on the history of race, from Jefferson to genomics. Hammonds’s area of expertise is especially relevant today: while the data is incomplete, at this point in time,...

“I waited. And waited… And then…I waited some more.”

Positive thinking and optimism are words often thrown around when thinking about being happy and cheerful. But what do they really mean? Positive thinking means approaching life in a positive and productive way instead of focusing on the negatives. Meaning you’re hopeful for the best and don’t focus on the worst. Sounds good in theory, but how can you start to think positively? Here are seven reasons why positivity is so good for you, and some tips on how to remain positive everyday:...

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. I have been given the greatest gift a mother could ask, my daughter- back. Last year a month before Mother’s Day I began a heart wrenching journey. My oldest daughter was in a serious car accident. She suffered a traumatic brain injury, broken neck, broken back, broken foot, but she was alive. She was a single mom. I became the guardian of my toddler grandson. I wasn’t prepared to become a mother in that way again. I was prepared to be a doting, spoiling...

“ We cannot tell what may happen to us in the strange medley of life. But we can decide what happens in us - how we can take it, what we do with it - and that is what really counts in the end. How to take the raw stuff of life and make it a thing of worth and beauty - that is the test of living.” Joseph Fort Newton This week in the childhood trauma education series, I will tackle parentification . I discovered so much while researching this topic that explains a lot for me. Have you heard...

Please check out this great video I helped to create for kids and parents on how to deal with Covid-19 :) Please feel free to share with colleagues, family, friends, and on social media. Carolee Tran Psychologist https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article242530961.html?fbclid=IwAR0r9-u1CzZ7didM_flPltUYH1wq8t8usQQIz3sohCSET9XDGyOA6RKB4Tg

The Greater Richmond TICN (GRTICN) has rallied around the message of Resilience Week, strengthening community connections even in the era of physical distancing. Staff from Greater Richmond SCAN , the backbone organization of the GRTICN, and Sacred Heart Center have filmed Virtual Storytimes in Spanish and English. GRTICN members Connie Honsinger from Chesterfield Pubic Schools and Keith Cartwright of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services facilitated two virtual ACE...

By Nick Lippa, WBFO, May 7, 2020 Diverse communities across the globe face many of the same challenges when battling COVID-19. But for refugee and immigrant populations who are adapting to Western New York, a language barrier can make a pandemic that much harder to deal with. WBFO’s Nick Lippa spoke with Ali Kadhum, Chair of the Iraqi American Society, about how he and other community leaders are stepping up to keep everyone informed and safe. Nick Lippa: Our immigrant population includes...

By Andrea Cipriano, The Crime Report, May 7, 2020 On any given day, approximately 43,600 people younger than 18 years of age are held in youth detention facilities across America. Even under normal circumstances, many detention facilities are unable to provide a clean and safe environment for these young individuals, and the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the trauma these children experience in detention, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Incarcerating young people...

By Sonali Kohli, Los Angeles Times, May 7, 2020 Four-year-olds have playdates through closed windows, sliding their toy cars in unison on either side of the glass. A high school student worries about his mother going to work in a food-packing warehouse, at risk for contracting COVID-19. Another teen says “there is nothing to look forward to,” as he tries to avoid sliding into depression. Worried parents are calling school district hotlines seeking help for their troubled children. Experts...

By Dana Lambert, EdSource, May 7, 2020 Chalk art and thank you parades in front of teacher’s homes have taken the place of gift baskets and luncheons in staff break rooms this year to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, but the sentiment remains the same. After nearly two months of homeschooling their children because of campus closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, some parents say they appreciate teachers more than ever. “Besides being in class every day, they work at night. They work...