400 Years of Perseverance, Resilience and Success

This post is meant to offer hope to African American seeking recovery. The first kidnapped Africans were brought to America as Slaves in 1619(city of Jamestown, Virginia). This year marks the 400th year anniversary of Africans living in America (1619-2019). There are two ways this story can be told. One, from the perspective of the 10 PM News in any city in American which routinely and stereotypically depicts African Americans as lazy, dishonest, criminal, oversexed, immoral, addiction prone individuals, who have contributed little to the success of this country. Then there is the truth! Objectively, historians 100 years from now looking back on our first 400 year history in America and conclude, "What an amazing people!  During their first 254 years in America they were brutalized in Chattel slavery (1619-1863). This was followed by 146 years of lynchings, victims of burnings (especially churches and Black owned businesses), beatings (read the story of Emit Till), bombings (read the story of the four little girls, Birmingham, Alabama and Black Wall Street), medical Maltreatment (read the story of the Tuskegee Experiment), Jim Crow Laws, discrimination, racism, redlining, voter suppression, job discrimination, last hired/first fired, police brutality, police shootings and Mass incarceration. Yet, they rose to produce some of the most successful people in world history." When Tennis Arthur Ashe was diagnosed with HIV he said, "I handled being black in America. I'll handle this too." For African Americans reading this post who are seeking addictions recovery, know that recovery is within your reach in that you come from a people who persevere and succeed. Scroll down to view a partial list of African American Achievers.  

Mae Jamison, MD

Astronaut and Medical Doctor

Jackie Robinson

Integrated Major League Baseball

The only Player who's Number is retired by the entire league

First Prominent Recovering Alcoholic

Leader of The Black Temperance Movement.

Misty Copeland

Number one Ballerina in The World

Madam C.J. Walker

First Female Self-made Millionaire in America

One of The Best Surgeons in The U.S.

Separated Conjoined Twins.

Simone Biles

Greatest Gymnast of all time.

Reginald Lewis

First African American Billionaire 

Oprah Winfrey

Most Successful Talk Show Host in History

W.E.B Dubois

First African American to earn a PHD from Harvard

Michael Jordan

Basketball Great

Muhammad Ali

Greatest of All Time

Laila Ali

Greatest of All Time

Michael Jackson

Greatest Entertainer of All Time

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King JR.

Leader of the Civil Right Movement

Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Aretha Franklin

Queen of Soul

Voted Best Singer of The 20th Century By Rolling Stone Magazine

George Washington Carver

Scientist, Inventor, Chemist, Botanist

Serena William

Greatest Tennis Star of All Time

Thurgood Marshall

Supreme Court Justice

Katherine Johnson

Mathematician

Her calculations played a key role in the first U.S. Successful Flight to Outer Space

Denzel Washington

Oscar Winning Actor

Guion Buford

Astronaut, Pilot, Scientist

African American History Month: An Interview with Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, Creator of the Online Museum of African American Addictions, Treatment and Recovery

Mark Sanders launched the Online Museum of African American Addictions, Treatment and Recovery in 2016 to share research that he's gathered over the course of his career on effective approaches to substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery in the African American community. The Online Museum also celebrates the many ways that both African Americans and non-African Americans have worked to promote treatment and recovery within African American communities and beyond. 

In the interview that follows, Mark tells what inspired him to start the Online Museum and describes the many resources it offers.   

What inspired you to create the Online Museum of African American Addictions, Treatment, and Recovery? 

Mark Sanders: 

“My reason for creating two-fold: First, it was personal, in that all of the people who I love have had the disease of addiction. Both of my grandfathers died from alcohol use disorders. Second, it all goes back to 1986, the year that crack cocaine replaced marijuana as the major street drug. In May 1986, my dad died of a crack-cocaine-induced heart attack. One month later, the morning after signing with the Boston Celtics as the number one player in the NBA, college basketball star Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose. As the Museum intro notes, Congress intensified the war on drugs at that time, leading to a vast increase in incarceration rates of people with substance use disorders, most of them African American men. 

Also in 1986, I graduated from grad school and took a job as a social worker with General Motors in Chicago. My job was to determine length of stay for GM employees identified with substance use disorders. Many of these individuals were African American men who were sent to treatment facilities that had limited experience in treating African Americans. This marked the beginning of my gathering research on effective substance use treatment for African Americans. I started to speak on the topic at conferences and professional meetings, and in 1993, I wrote my first book, Treating African American Substance Users.

Throughout those years I frequently spoke with my mentor Bill White, who in my mind is the top historian in the treatment and recovery services field. We would talk regularly about the history of addiction in America in general and more specifically, within the African American population. 

Bill has written more than 400 articles on recovery, which are posted on his website, Selected Papers of William L. White, to make them more accessible to people outside the realm of research. Bill’s site had a great influence on the launch of the Online Museum. 

Bill and I had written a series of articles on the African American experience, with my wife, Tanya, who is also a social worker. One of the articles, Addiction in the African American Community, relates the recovery stories of Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X, and what we could learn from them. A second article, When I Get Low, I Get High, examines how addiction is portrayed in African American music. Another article explores the portrayal of addiction in literature and movies. With these articles, I realized that I could create a site similar to Bill’s, with a goal to make sure that the story of African American addiction, treatment, and recovery is told from multiple perspectives. The Online Museum launched in June 2016.  

How do you select content for the Online Museum?  

“Sometimes, I do a strategic search for things such as examples of Alcoholics Anonymous in African-American communities, or African Americans and the temperance movement. Often, the content finds me. I look for inspirational quotes or stories to highlight the successes of other groups—for example, March 8, National Women’s Day, or National Hispanic and Latino heritage month. 

Martin Luther King Day, I found a 20-minute YouTube video of Dr. King talking to young people about hope, one of his most inspirational talks: What is Your Life’s Blueprint.With that, I began to think about the importance of instilling hope among young African Americans as a prevention tool.

We are lucky to have a lot of great contributors. Dr. Carl Bellhas a page on the Online Museum—right now his focus is on fetal alcohol syndrome. Fred Dyerhas a page on working with emerging adults. Bill White has also given us permission to repost from his blog. 

The Online Museum includes a blogwith posts by a variety of writers. I always have my eyes and ears open for content. A recent post was inspired by the comments to an online trivia contest that asked: “What well-known comic is from Peoria, IL.” The answer, Richard Pryor, raised a question about why we should celebrate Pryor, given his problems with drugs and alcohol. What many people don’t know about Pryor is that he suffered terrible childhood abuse, and that led to a blog post, Don’t Judge a Man Until You Have Walked A Mile in His Moccasins: Defending Richard Pryor, about the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and later substance use.  

One of the most popular blog posts, based on number of page views, is An Open Letter to The Hip Hop Community (Rappers): Your Lyrics Can Increase the Risk of Relapse.”

 Describe some ways that the Online Museum content has been used since you launched the site. 

“In 2018, the Online Museum was viewed by people in all 50 states in 88 countries. So far, in 2019, we’ve had visitors from 36 states in and 18 countries. 

When we first developed the Online Museum, we went to the ATTC directory of addiction counselor training programs across the United States. We sent information on the site to all of those programs. 

Some institutions or addictions studies programs are using the Online Museum in their curricula. The Online Museum is also featured in a webinar that I presented for NAADAC, titled “Counseling African Americans with Substance Use Disorders.”

Treatment counselors use the Gone Too Soon! to share stories of how alcohol and drug use has shortened the lives of many athletes and celebrities.  

How can addiction treatment and recovery services professionals use the site during Black History Month and all year long? 

“I encourage people to peruse the site and make a commitment to learning something new about the African American community. Treatment professionals can read the scholarly articles specific to treatment and recovery issues, and try to implement some of the ideas presented. The content on the site may be especially valuable to young white professionals who are new to the field and working with African American or other populations for the first time. The Online Museum content can also be an excellent resource for older professionals who are mentoring someone just starting out. 

The Story of the Month section of the site aims to help reduce stigma and bust stereotypes about African Americans—each story demonstrates that African Americans can and do recover. This page can be a useful tool for counselors and inspiration for people seeking recovery. 

The Addiction Hall of Fame is also designed to challenge stereotypes and celebrate all that African Americans have done to help promote addiction treatment and recovery. We recently announced the 2019 inductees, and their profiles are featured on the site.”

It is my hope that people who are interested in the subject of addictions history, treatment and recovery among African American in the present and the future can utilize the museum as a source of information. The biggest hope is that people interested in the subject 50 years from now will grab the baton and continue the work.” 

About Mark Sanders: 

Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, is an international speaker, trainer, and consultant in the behavioral health field whose work has reached thousands throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Caribbean and British Islands. 

Mark is the author of five books, which focus on behavioral health. Recent writings include Slipping through the Cracks: Intervention Strategies for Clients Multiple Addictions and Disorders, Recovery Management: and Relationship Detox: Helping Clients Develop Healthy Relationships in Recovery. He has had two stories published in the New York Times best-selling books series, Chicken Soup for the Soul. Mark has been a certified addictions counselor for 34 years. He has received numerous awards including a Life Time Achievement Award from the Illinois Addiction Counselor Certification Board and the Barbara Bacon Award for outstanding contributions to the Social Work profession as a Loyola University of Chicago Alumni. 

Mark is co-founder of Serenity Academy of Chicago, the only recovery high school in Illinois. He is past president of the board of the Illinois Chapter of NAADAC. He has had a 30 year career as a university educator having taught at the University of Chicago, Illinois State University, Illinois School of Professional Psychology, and Loyola University of Chicago, School of Social Work.

Article prepared by Maureen Fitzgerald, Great Lakes ATTC and ATTC Network Coordinating Office.

New Years and Other Holiday Celebrations for African Americans Seeking Recovery

Harriet Tubman Madame C. J. Walker Muhammad Ali

The new year is upon us. For persons seeking recovery New Years is one of the days in which relapse is most common. In America, just about every holiday is celebrated with the use of alcohol and/or other drugs. In a previous post I suggested that African Americans in recovery or seeking recovery create their own drug free celebrations which could elevate self-esteem, increase cultural pride, teach history and help them stay sober during holidays. Below are some suggested celebrations on the birthday of prominent African Americans.

Madam C. J. Walker Day (December 23) - Madam C. J. Walker was the first American woman self-made millionaire, building a hair care products empire for African American Woman. Perhaps December 23rd is the day to begin plans for a business you've always wanted to start.

Muhammad Ali Day (January 8) - The greatest boxer of all time gave up his heavy weight title to stand for principles he believed in. Perhaps on this day you could stand up for an important principle or cause you believe in.

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 15) - On this day you could view tapes of Dr King’s speeches, Read his quotes or books to internalize his courage in the midst of adversity.

Harriet Tubman Day - As she was born into slavery there is no official day for her birth day. Pick a day! Celebrate her courage and the enormous love she had for enslaved Africans enabling her to make 19 trips from the south to the North freeing hundreds of Africans as a leader of the underground railroad.

New Years Day - How about a day of gratitude for another day or year of recovery surrounded by others in recovery!

Your Birth Day - Instead of sipping champagne, or smoking a blunt, how about throwing a party on your birthday for your parents for the gift of life!

Holidays which can be created are endless, including: Barack Obama Day; Michelle Obama Day; Paul Robeson Day; Ida B. Wells Day; Louis Armstrong Day; Ella Fitzgerald Day; Jackie Robinson Day, Whitney Young Day, etc., etc., etc.,

Happy New Year!

RAP MUSIC/Hip Hop AS THERAPY: Lessons For Addictions Counselors

Studies indicate that journaling can be just as effective as therapy in helping people change. If this is true, then rap music is the ultimate journaling! When rapper Snoop Dogg burst on the scene much of his music focused on "Chronic" (weed smoking), "Gin and Juice" (alcohol drinking), "hookers and hoes" (derogatory lyrics about women) and "murder was the case" (gun violence). At the time of this writing, his life and lyrics have changed dramatically. He now coaches a youth football league and many of the youth whom he has coached have earned division I football scholarships and several play football in the NFL. He recently published a cookbook entitled, From Crook to Cook. He recently released a 22 song gospel album.

Rapper Jay Z transformed himself from drug dealer to multi-millionaire entrepreneur. This transformation is even reflected in his wardrobe, from sagging pants to pulled up pants and suits. Rap is autobiographical journaling. On the Black Album he explains the connecting between his early drug dealing, womanizing and his father leaving the family. He stated:

"Now all the teachers couldn't reach me and my momma couldn't beat me hard enough to match the pain of my pops not seeing me, so, with that disdain in my membrane, got on my pimp game fuck the world my defense came. Then Dahaven introduced to the game, Spanish Jose introduced me to caine (Cocaine), I'm a hustler now,"

Years ago he wrote a song entitled, "Song Cry" about a woman that left him after he cheated on her. While he was sad he couldn't cry. Here are the lyrics.

"I couldn't see em falling down my eyes so I've got to let this song cry."

He kept writing and who would ever though he would begin his 444 album (released 16 years later) with these words, "Cry Jay Z Cry." This was in response to his nearly losing his wife Beyonce due to infidelity and his desire to transform his life to save his marriage and family. Years removed from drug dealing on the 444 Album he rapped of charity and legally building generational wealth.

In the beginning of his career, Oscar and Grammy winning rapper Eminem described himself as the "white Tupac Shakur." Their commonalities included, music genre, poverty, drug addicted mothers and absent fathers whom they hated. Like many youth I have counseled Eminem used marijuana, alcohol and other drugs to cope. He kept rapping (journaling) and his Relapse and Recovery Albums (released in 2009 and 2010) were transformational. He is now in long term addictions recovery.

Addictions counselors reading this post should be aware of the role creativity can play in recovery and be willing to incorporate a variety of mediums in their work with clients including art, music, movement, dance, poetry and journaling.

RECOVERY CELEBRATION AND ADVOCACY IN GHANA AFRICA

by Bill White, MA

The rise of an international recovery advocacy movement is, country by country, expanding the physical, psychological, social, and political space in which long-term personal and family recovery can flourish. Earlier posts have highlighted such efforts in Canada, the UK, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and East Africa. Today, we explore recovery advocacy in the Republic of Ghana in West Africa.

The Republic of Ghana, a nation of more than 25 million people and more than 40 languages, is located on West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea. Like countries around the world, Ghana has experienced significant alcohol and other drug problems. Rising from these problems has been a new generation of recovery activists addressing the needs of people seeking and in recovery from addiction. Leading this effort organizationally has been Recovery Africa, Inc., founded in 2014 after years of groundwork and support from the Hopeful Way Foundation and the sustained collaboration of people in recovery and professionals in the U.S. and Ghana. The Mission of Recovery Africa is to assist Ghana and other African countries in developing organizations that effectively address addiction to alcohol and other drugs across the arenas of prevention, treatment, and recovery support.

Recovery Africa has supported the development of a residential treatment center (The House of St. Francis), a medical detox facility, four Oxford Houses (including one for women), and the expansion of recovery support groups, including AA and NA groups and approaches that draw more directly on African traditions. Recovery Africa has also helped create the Recovery Ghana Consortium, provided addiction-related training to medical and service professionals, and sponsored educational exchange visits to Ghana by students in recovery from other countries. Efforts are underway to encourage development of employee assistance programs within Ghana’s growing commercial sector by linking businesses and recovery community organizations. All of these efforts have garnered support from the Government of Ghana. Support from the U.S. has been provided through relationships with Oxford House Inc., Faces and Voices of Recovery, Dot and John Mooney Foundation, and Healing Transitions as well as through visits by prominent U.S. recovery advocates.

Recovery Africa sponsors an annual recovery walk each year to celebrate recovery, stir hope among those still suffering from addiction, reduce stigma, and offer living proof that recovery is real! All proceeds from the walk support Recovery Africa’s continued efforts in peer-to-peer recovery support, recovery-focused public education, and recovery advocacy. Ghana’s first recovery walk was held in 2015, and more than 350 people participated in the 2018 walk held this past September in Accra with the theme United Against Stigma of SUDs (Substance Use Disorders). Included in the Recovery Walk were representatives from the Ghana Prison Service, Narcotics Control Board, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, National Commission for Civic Education, other Ghanaian non-profit organizations, and rehab centers that provide treatment and recovery services for the local recovery community as well as local schools, youth groups, and churches. Also participating was Recovery Africa’s primary partner Hopeful Way Foundation and a number of representatives from the American recovery advocacy movement. Videos of the 2018 Recovery March can be viewed by clicking HERE.

If you would like to make a personal contribution to Recovery Africa to support the recovery advocacy work in Ghana, you may do so by clicking HERE. Even the smallest of donations will help expand needed recovery support resources.

The images below convey the spirit of that event and some of the messages conveyed to those observing the walk or seen through quite extensive media coverage of the event.

Acknowledgement: Thanks to Recovery Africa, Inc. Board Member Kristen Harper for providing photos from the 2018 Recovery Walk and to Dan O’Laughlin for sharing information on Recovery Africa and the Hopeful Way Foundation.

Implementing Cultural Competence in a Trauma Informed Setting for African-American Emerging Adults with Co-occurring Disorders

by Fred Dyer, PhD, CADC

The aforementioned title of this post reminds those of us who are working with African American Emerging Adults with Co-occurring Disorders, and/or those who desire to, that due to the early exposure of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE'S) and their impact psychiactrically, behaviorally and developmentally, when working with African Emerging adults it is necessary to be able to respond to the trauma in their lives in a culturally competent/sensitive manner.

 Laura Brown{2008} reminds us of the importance of cultural competence  in trauma informed care by stating that "Healthcare delivery of services for emerging adults  cannot be all inclusive without embracing, the need  for cultural competence/sensitivity, and even the best practices lack efficacy when culture is not incorporated as a trauma-informed solution. Additionally failure to bring cultural competence to the table can lead to missteps in genuinely helping African American emerging Adult trauma survivors or worse can result in deepening the wounds of trauma, creating secondary and tertiary traumas that are more painful than the original because they are appraised by victims and survivors as unnecessary wounds.

 As with other important topics time nor space affords the appropriate amount of time to discuss. However any discussion/treatment of trauma must and should include: Historical trauma and culturally competent/ sensitive practice parameters for healing historical trauma.

The following are a few principles for implementing culturally competent/sensitive trauma informed -care with African- American emerging adults with co-occurring disorders. 1. connect clients with resources they trust including types of professionals and traditional healers, 2. help clients to restore a sense of safety, 3. connect clients with elders who lived thru traumatic events and who managed trauma, discrimination, and setbacks, 4. remember it is important to ask clients "what the event means to them. It is clear that addressing cultural competency and utilizing cultural sensitivity in a trauma -informed setting with African - American emerging adults with co-occurring disorders is no longer an exception, but rather an expectation.

Let’s Create Our Own Holidays As African Americans in Recovery

Today is Columbus Day. Each year the Nation takes a day to celebrate a man who did horrible things. Christopher Columbus called the people he met in the "New World" Indians, because he was lost and thought he was in India. He never set foot on U.S. Soil. He landed in the Caribbean Islands and raped, robbed, pillaged and destroyed.

 How about celebrating Frederick Douglass Day as the first prominent American recovering alcoholic and leader of the Black Temperance Movement or Malcolm X Day? Malcolm had a religious conversion in prison and went from pimp, thief and addict to a leader of millions. While these two men are famous there are other lesser known hero's that are worthy of celebration such as Mother Hale, an African American women who mothered hundreds of children whose parents could not care for them due to cocaine addiction, heroin addiction or Aids. Hale's contribution includes a legacy of service which is so important to recovery.

Most celebrations in the country involve drinking and/or drug use including holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and graduations. Even funerals! African Americans in recovery can create celebrations of our own to reinforce recovery.

Salute to Black Grandparents: the Guardians of Children of Substance Using Parents

The African proverb, "it takes a village to raise a child" is exemplified by African American Grandparents when their own adult children are unable to take care of their children due to addiction, incarceration (often related to addiction) or mental illness.

Studies indicated that when raised by grandparents, grandchildren often report feeling loved. In addition, African American Grandparents often introduce their grandchildren to family rituals (family dinners), cultural rituals, history, constant and predictable routines, the adult protective shield, spirituality and God. All of these have proven to be substance abuse prevention protective factors.

Grandparents raising their grandchildren often lose their own personal freedom and the opportunity to enjoy the golden years. Many are economically poor and raise grandchildren who have often experienced neglect, abandonment and maltreatment due to parental addiction, mental illness, incarceration or a combination. This can be quite stressful. Some grandparents are raising their adult children and grandchildren simultaneously.

We owe black grandparents! I owe black grandparents. My grandparents became my caretaker the year addiction and incarceration impacted both sides of my family. I was bitter because I was not living with my parents and took my bitterness out on my grandparents (youth often demonstrated their frustration where they feel safest and most loved). This was my junior year of high school. The angrier I acted, the more loving my grandmother became. She was a saint, a praying grandmother! That year I failed 2 classes and my 2.0 grade point average dropped to 1.5. I demanded, in a harsh tone, that my grandfather give me money to pay for summer school. He said to me, "I'm not giving you anything! If you want to destroy your life, I'm not going to pay for it!" My grandmother overheard the conversation and with tears in her eyes said, "Give him the money. I love him" I understand the research that says that children raised by their grandparents often report feeling loved. That event was the catalyst which propelled my life forward.

I try to honor my grandmother by being successful as I can be. Each time I go to the barbershop I give the barber an extra $15 to anonymously pay for the haircuts of grandsons raised by grandmothers. What are some little things you can do to support grandparents raising their grandchildren?

Don'T Judge a Man Until You Have Walked a Mile in His Moccasins: Defending Richard Pryor

This morning I took a short trivia quiz online about the life of standup comedian Richard Pryor and read the comments about Richard Pryor by others who took the quiz. Most of these comments were negative. Examples:

"I don't like Richard Pryor."

"He swore too much."

"He was Vulgar."

"He was a drug addict. That's why he wasn't great."

As a child and adolescent I grew up in a family where there was drug addiction, alcoholism, domestic violence and corporal punishment. One of the few things that gave me relief back then, along with hope and laughter were Richard Pryor albums introduced to me by my father (thanks Dad!).

As I read comments about Pryor, the famous Native American Proverb came to mind, "You should never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins." Below is the comment I submitted.

"At the turn of the century Rolling Stone Magazine selected Richard Pryor as the greatest stand-up comic of all time. Richard grew up in a brothel and was sexually abused as a child. There is a strong link between childhood sexual abuse and addiction. Early in Pryor's comedy career a prominent comedian tried to convince Richard to "Stop swearing" and "Be completely clean" with his comedy routine. According to Pryor, "When I followed that advice I had a nervous breakdown on stage. I decided I needed to be true to myself. My comedy reflects the fact that I grew up with, thieves, hustlers, pimps and prostitutes."

It is important for us as addictions and recovery professionals to accept clients for where they are, i.e. stage of change, as people, (you are not what you have done) and their pathway/style of recovery.

The Royal Wedding: Racism, Poverty and Addiction in America

 I watched the royal wedding a few weeks ago, an interracial marriage with Price Harry, part of the British Royal Family and Princess Meghan Markle a TV actress, who happens to be bi-racial. As they declared their love for each other I found myself thinking about the concept of race. A concept intensified during the 18th century to justify slavery and I thought about racism along with its foolish doctrine of superiority and inferiority based on skin color and how this doctrine pits people against each other. This royal couple did not allow race to separate them from love.

At the time of this writing an economic recession has hit white rural America. This recession is playing a major role in triggering a heroin epidemic and according to the U.S. Department of Public Health this epidemic has decreased the life expectancy of white males in America by a full year. According to addictions historian William White, MA, history reveals that whenever there is an economic recession we can expect to see a stimulant or opiate epidemic. In the 1980's when the recession hit African American communities, cocaine addiction dramatically increased.

Race baiters have a way of capitalizing on this economic recession, Individuals reading this blog post 40 years from now will be able to use some form of advanced technology to view President Donald Trump walk down an escalator, wearing a blue suit, white shirt and red tie and announce his run for presidency. Speaking of Mexico he declared, "They are not our friend. When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They are bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're bringing rapist. I will build a great wall along our southern border and I will have Mexico pay for it.” This statement provided a false sense of hope to white rural America that this would improve their financial situation. He was elected President of the United States.

Steve Bannon, a part of trumps inner circle has used his pen to blame African Americans and Hispanics for white poverty in America with a goal of pitting groups against each other. The truth at the time of this writing is that American corporations and the executives who lead them are making huge profits and the money is not trinkling down to average Americans and jobs are being eliminated. Pitting groups against each other helps assure that these groups won't work together to fight corporate greed or to fight for their fair share of the pie.

In the 1960's when Dr Martin Luther King was incarcerated in a Birmingham Alabama jail for marching, the prison guards were talking to Dr King about where they lived and how much money they were making. Listening to the guards Dr. King said, "You ought to be marching with us. You're just as poor as Negroes. You are put in the position of supporting your oppressor, because of prejudice and blindness, you fail to see that the same force that oppresses Negroes in American society oppresses poor white people."

One of the best things which came out of the war on drugs has been recovery rallies and marches all over the nation which illustrates that recovery knows not one face, one race, one culture or one pathway of recovery. People of all cultures marching side by side celebrating recovery.

Bishop Michael Curry, the first Black Bishop of the Episcopal Church spoke at the Royal Wedding. I end this blog post with his words. "When love is the way, no child will ever go to bed hungry and poverty will be history."

Amid the opioid epidemic, white means victim, black means addict

America’s social hierarchies rule everything – even the opioid epidemic. You don’t have to dig deep into the recovery process to find the hypocrisy to people of color

My cursor is hovering over the “unfriend” button, but I haven’t clicked it.

Today, my relationship-severing finger is poised to get rid of Matt. Matt is a friend with whom I spent a lot of time about six years ago. We were close in rehab, but I haven’t seen him since. I entered Greenbriar treatment center in Washington, Pennsylvania, just a few days after he’d arrived, and he showed me the ropes. For the next few weeks, we were virtually inseparable.

Rehab can be a frightening place when you first arrive. With any luck, you’ve already had some sort of “come to Jesus” moment with yourself and you’ve realized that you need to be there or else you’re going to die. I had had no such moment and was fully convinced that this was all a big mistake. Once I got through the door into the facility, I heard it lock electronically with a loud buzz and a finality that shook my bones. I immediately regretted it. There is no lonelier feeling on this Earth than sitting there, abandoned and broken. You’ve burned all your bridges on the outside and your life feels as though it’s half a world away. This is the moment when you really need a guy like Matt to walk up to you, thrust out his hand and say: “Hi! I’m Matt! What’s your name?”

Over the next few weeks, he and I attended group therapy sessions together and stayed up late talking about our problems, our addictions and our families. We ugly-cried in front of each other as we shared our darkest secrets, what we had done for drugs and how deeply unhappy we were. Matt is a man who, in many ways, helped me to take my recovery seriously in rehab and, in the first few weeks after my release, he helped me to remain sober on the outside.

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Source: The Guardian

The Opioid Crisis is Surging in Black Urban Communities

March 8, 2018 – The current drug addiction crisis began in rural America, but it’s quickly spreading to urban areas and into the African-American population in cities across the country.

“It’s a frightening time,” says Dr. Edwin Chapman, who specializes in drug addiction in Washington, D.C., “because the urban African-American community is dying now at a faster rate than the epidemic in the suburbs and rural areas.”

Chapman is on the front line of the opioid epidemic crippling his community in the Northeast section of Washington. He heads the Medical Home Development Group, a clinic specializing in addiction medicine.

About a dozen patients sit in the lobby of his clinic on a recent Monday morning. The clinic is on a busy street, and even on the second floor you can hear blaring ambulances whiz by — Chapman says often they stop right outside his building.

“Sometimes we’ll have a cluster of folks outside selling drugs,” he says. “We’ve had overdoses right outside, right under the building, right next door to the building.

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Source: NPR     

Recovery Wisdom From Africa

by William White, MA

Proverbs are the daughters of experience. (Rwandan proverb)

Knowledge that can be brought to bear on the recovery experience can be drawn from diverse cultural traditions. Such knowledge is often conveyed as metaphors, slogans, or proverbs. Below are a few examples drawn from the traditional wisdom of Africa. Where available, its origins within Africa are noted.

On the Value of Persistence and Incremental Steps

By trying often, the monkey learns to jump from the tree. (Buganda)

By crawling a child learns to stand. 

To run is not necessarily to arrive. (Swahili)

If you are building a house and a nail breaks, do you stop building or do you change the nail?  (Rwanda)

Denial

He who conceals his disease cannot expect to be cured. (Ethiopia)

Grandiosity

What is inflated too much will burst into fragments. (Ethiopia)

The fool speaks, the wise man listens. (Ethiopia)

Projection of Blame

He who cannot dance will say, “The Drum is bad.” (Ashanti)

He who is unable to dance says that the yard is stony. (Masai)

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Obstacles That African Americans Can Face When Requiring Help For Opioid Addiction . . .

by

Jamelia Hand, MHS, CADC, MISA 1

In the early 2000's I was in my 20’s, fresh out of graduate school, and ready to take on the world. Armed with my crisply printed Master’s Degree in Addiction Treatment, a Certification in Addiction Counseling, and my zeal to save the world from all things addiction-related, I became a “Chemical Dependency Counselor” at a Residential Treatment Facility. One of my first clients was a woman whom I will call “Rose”. 

I will never forget the day I met her.  

Ms. Rose was a 55-year-old married African American woman with 5 children. She had a long history of Heroin and Alcohol addiction. As Ms. Rose waited in my office to be interviewed for our program, I was across the hall in the conference room with our team. Wearing hats and gloves in the small frigid conference room with a broken window, we braved our meeting on this Chicago’s winter day. We were under-resourced and under-funded, but we cared deeply about every client that appeared on our doorstep. And now here was Rose, mother of 5, waiting in my office while we reviewed her life and fate.

As the team meeting ended and the room cleared, I blew into my hands to warm them and then went to speak with Ms. Rose. She was no longer sitting in my office and I had to search for her. As I did so, I mumbled a little prayer to myself. I wanted to be guided in this moment as I stood at the threshold of entering Ms. Rose’s story…the part of the story that would finally lead her and her five children to a happy ending, I prayed. Click here to continue reading this post.

Hip-Hop Music Influencing More African Americans to Try "Molly"

The USF-led study suggests that rappers may be effective sources for prevention, health promotion, and harm reduction messages

TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 13, 2018) -- More rap artists are talking about molly, which is the powder or crystal form of ecstasy, and that’s having a big impact on black listeners. Molly is a synthetic drug that acts as a stimulant and hallucinogenic. While research has shown messages in hip-hop music can influence the use of marijuana and alcohol, no research has looked specifically at whether hip-hop is actually influencing some to try molly.

In a study published yesterday in the Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, researchers surveyed African-American young adults who’ve tried molly, and found 82 percent said hip-hop music influenced their decision to try it. An abundance of song lyrics glorify the drug, describing it as a way to party and lower sexual inhibitions.

“Molly, although not as dangerous as opioids, has been linked to psychiatric problems, sexual risk taking and adverse health outcomes like seizures, irregular heartbeat, hyperthermia and even death,” said lead author Khary Rigg, PhD, professor of mental health law and policy at the University of South Florida College of Behavioral and Community Sciences.

Study participants said they felt comfortable trying the drug only after trendsetting rappers like Kanye West and French Montana mentioned it in their lyrics, depicting molly as the new “it” drug that has benign consequences, unlike heroin or crack.

“I’m just trying to party like a rock star, not get strung out,” said one study participant. “Whenever they (rappers) mentioned it (molly), they are either partying, drinking (alcohol), smoking (weed), or having sex. All of the things I love to do most. I never heard about anyone getting addicted or dying. That made me feel better about trying it.”

“The behaviors of millennial African-Americans are probably the most likely to be influenced by hip-hop music as the artists themselves are typically from that demographic,” said Dr. Rigg. “This suggests that rappers may be effective sources for prevention, health promotion, and harm reduction messages aimed at African-Americans.”

Previous molly studies mostly focus on populations that are white, European, and regular listeners of electronic dance music involved in the rave scene. This new study is one of the few to focus on African-American molly use and gives us a greater understanding of how hip-hop music influences patterns of molly use among black users.

Molly is a synthetic drug that acts as a stimulant and hallucinogenic.

Story by Tina Meketa, University Communications and Marketing

University of South Florida

Source:   http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=8268&z=232

African American History: A Substance Abuse Prevention and Recovery Tool

Each February we celebrate African American History month. We have learned that as culture disappears and is taken away addiction dramatically increases. Culture is what people rely on during times of stress or duress. Consider the increase of drinking among recent immigrants to the United States and the proliferation of alcoholism among Native American Tribes when they were stripped of their culture and not allowed to practice their religion due to U.S. Government legislation. With a return to culture Native Americans are achieving the highest recovery rates in the world.

This month we celebrate the recovery legacy of Frederick Douglass, the first prominent American recovering alcoholic and leader of the Black Temperance Movement (Click her to read his recovery story). Each month we celebrate the recovery story of African Americans from all walks of life. (Click here to view recovery stories of the month). Happy African American History Month!

Weed Delivery Apps. What's Next? Implications for Counseling African American Adolescents With Cannabis Use Disorder

I just watched a program on MSNBC where they discussed new entrepreneurs who are hoping to make a fortune since California legalized recreational use of marijuana. One person developed a marijuana delivery APP. One of the delivery drivers was a man who quit his job as a delivery person for UPS believing he could make more money delivering marijuana. Another entrepreneur opened a weed restaurant where marijuana is used as a main ingredient in each recipe. The MSNBC host visited a marijuana spa and listened to a customer say she enjoyed "the sensation" of being massaged by an oil which contained marijuana.

In the book the Culture of Addiction and the Culture of Recovery, historian William White, MA describes how drugs go through a cycle from Socially Celebrated (the most approval by society, an example would be expensive alcohol), Socially Tolerated (use is accepted under certain circumstances, an example would be Medical Marijuana), and Socially Prohibited (use of these drugs carry the most stigma and legal consequences, examples include heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines). In the book White points out that in the early 1900's heroin was a socially celebrated drug which dropped to prohibited status as the children of the affluent were dying of overdose deaths (notice how history has repeated itself today). Cigarettes shifted from celebrated to tolerated as it was linked to cancer. Recreational use of marijuana is shifting from a prohibited drug to a celebrated drug as more and more states move towards legalization. What impact will this increased status have on adolescent marijuana use nationwide?

For adolescent African Americans the number one drug of choice is marijuana. In groups I lead they routinely rationalize their use with statements such as, "Marijuana is not addictive. God produced it and everything God produces is good. How could it be bad for you, it grows naturally in the ground? How could it be bad for you? It’s legal?"

My response to these youth has been to introduce science. I tell them that research indicated that 90% of people who drink alcohol or use other drugs do so without becoming addicted to the drug. Approximately 10% of users of any drug including marijuana develop addiction. I tell them that those most vulnerable to addiction are individuals with: family histories of addiction; early age of first use; have histories of childhood trauma etc. (100% of teens I work with). We also discuss the research which describes the link between early marijuana use, psychosis and learning challenges. This info is always received well. I encourage you the reader to think about how you will respond when teens ask you, "How can marijuana be addicting? It’s legal." 

MY Recovery Story . . .

by

Jamelia Hand, MHS, CADC, MISA 1

Editor's Note: The first blog post of 2018 is the story of a daughters love for her father before and during her Fathers active addiction and the daughter finding her life purpose in the midst of her fathers addiction.

So, I show up to work one day and EVERYTHING was falling apart...

It was 32 below zero (wind chill factor) in Chicago, IL and I was the ONLY person who came to my office to work on this day. When I checked the voicemail there were 3 messages (my entire staff) stating that trouble with car, trouble at home, sickness, prevented them from coming to work. I also received a voicemail from my boss which stated "We're going to go in a different direction with the new project". So, the project that i'd been researching and developing for 2 weeks had to be redone. And did I mention that the project proposal was due by the close of business on the next day? I started the coffee maker and headed over to the hospital to make my daily rounds. I'm an addictions counselor by trade but was working as a supervisor at a detoxification program for patients who wanted to begin their addiction recovery journey. I walked from my office to the hospital a few feet away and greeted everyone in the emergency department (all 4 of them).. I then went upstairs to the unit where I find out that there was only 1 physician, 1 nurse who was divided between 2 floors, and 34 patients. I gauged the "climate" on the unit and gave the doctor a little bit of a pep talk before what could be assumed to be a stress-filled day...(click here to continue reading this post).

Hope! A Necessary Recovery Ingredient for African Americans

This morning I read that Hip Hop Mogul Sean "Ditty" Combs is interested in buying the Carolina Panthers NFL Football Team and NBA Superstar Stephen Curry tweeted that he wanted in as a partial owner. Ditty said that he would hire quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whom many believe has not been offered a contract to play quarterback in the NFL because he spoke out against police brutality directed towards African Americans (click here to read the blog post, Don't Talk: Implications for Counseling African Americans With Substance Use Disorders).

When I read the story this morning I felt an immediate sense of hope. In my lifetime I have witnessed African Americans go from barely owning anything to being in position to own a professional football teams just as Michael Jordan owns an NBA Basketball team and Irving "Magic" Johnson is part owner of the LA Dodgers baseball team.

This story brings to mind an important ingredient of recovery for African American's, hope! African American seeking recovery, especially the urban poor, face an existential concern, "Even if I stop using drugs, how do I succeed in a world that does not appear to be made for me?" The other inspiring aspect of the story is that Stephen Curry is willing to partner with Ditty and Ditty is willing to hire Colin Kaepernick. This is a story of African American men being willing to work together and look out for each other.

During one of the Tavis Smiley’s think tanks, African American Sociologist from Harvard University shared research that revealed that African Americans have the highest church attendance on Sundays and experience the most isolation on Monday, compared with other cultural groups. In the study participants were asked, "if you were in a crisis, how many people could you rely on to help you?" African Americans listed the fewest number of people whom they could rely on in a crisis. Just as hope is an important need in recovery, so is community.

For Addictions counselors reading this blog post, there are two questions for you. "What are you doing to instill hope in recovery in African American Clients? Specifically clients who are economically poor. What are you doing to help break isolation and help clients experience a sense of community in recovery?"

Recovered Or Recovering?

The big book of Alcoholics Anonymous uses the word Recovered 28 times. There has been a debate the past half century as to whether or not persons in recovery are recovered or recovering. I have posed this question in seminars and participants never  unanimously agree. All agree that if a person dies while in recovery, they are recovered!  

This blog post is dedicated to 5 African American Addictions counselors who spent years in service to others both professionally and personally prior to their death. I knew each of them personally. This is my tribute to them.

Richard Black---Died last week. In the August 2017 story of the month in this museum I introduced him as my brother in law. The last 3 decades of his life were dedicated to helping facilitate recovery in his role as an addictions counselor and volunteer service work.

"Brother" Earl Cannamore---An elder in the addictions field and mentor to many. Earl use to say, "I'm the greatest substance abuse counselor in the world!" He took pride in his work. The word enthusiasm comes from a Greek word which means, "the God within." Brother Earl was the most enthusiastic person I ever met. His clients were fortunate. Earl's legacy includes the multiple recovery videos he created which have outlived him. Earl died in 1995.

Rasheed Akbar---I owe my families recovery to Rasheed Akbar! He was my uncle Isaac's counselor whom was first in our family to recover. He was also my brother's counselor. Just as addiction runs in families, so does recovery! Numerous family members are now in recovery. We no longer have "drunk parties" as a family. We have sober parties. Thank you Rasheed! Rest in peace.

Reverend Elliott Lyons--I met Elliot when I was a young addictions counselor. He was in the winter of his career. I remember hearing scores of persons in recovery credit Elliott with helping to facilitate their recovery. I remember him responding to this feedback with such humility. 32 years ago my wife and I married. We were in different religions and wanted to select a minister to officiate our wedding ceremony who would be non-judgmental of religious differences. We selected Reverend Elliott Lyons, a man who demonstrated an awareness of Gods "bigness" by helping people from all walks of life, secular and religious with their recovery.

Greg Yarborough-- Greg counseled with a rhythm! James Brumley and I as newer counselors marveled at how Greg charismatically  counseled 4 or 5 clients at the same time in the milieu. The magic of how he worked is difficult to explain. I am sorry that counselors today never witnessed this. It was something to see!