Black Resiliency Group: A place to recharge
Clockwise from top left: Kim Kiley, Meredith Black, Elizabeth Shepard, Deja Wilson, and Zakiya Newsome, at last month’s Mix and Mingle, an all-staff social. Deja and Zakiya organized the Mix and Mingle as part of FrontLine's anti-racism work.
Just as your lunch break is needed to get through the rest of your day, bi-weekly meetings from the Black Resiliency group help our Black staff get through theirs.
The Black Resiliency group is a safe space for Black staff to share experiences, get advice, or air grievances. FrontLine leadership established the group in the summer of 2022 to provide a space for Black FrontLine Service staff to discuss shared experiences and advocacy. The group alternates between online and in-person meetings and is open to Black staff at all levels of the agency and across sites.
Case managers Deja Wilson and Zakiya Newsome co-facilitate the group. “I was so new [when I joined FrontLIne in 2022 that] I wasn’t able to meet anybody. I only knew the people in my department, but meeting other people, getting their experiences, and having those conversations [is great],” Zakiya said.
“I don’t even get them in everyday life because I just moved here from Chicago so those important conversations that I used to have back home with my family, now I can continue those conversations with people.”
Although Deja couldn’t share examples, due to the guidelines of the group, she recalled many instances when the group held discussions on problems around race that they didn’t feel comfortable mentioning around co-workers who may not have understood their perspectives.
“I feel like the importance of [the group] is giving people the outlet to say what’s on their mind and give them what they need to get issues resolved,” Deja said.
The Black Resiliency Group is one of several facilitated groups developed over the past five years as part of the agency’s anti-racism efforts. Similar groups include the Becoming an Ally group for White staff, White Person’s Learning Club for White managers, and the Black Manager Resiliency Group. Together, these groups provide space for the individual growth that is necessary for FrontLine to become an anti-racist organization.
In addition, FrontLine invites the full staff to Courageous Conversations, a monthly discussion group of complex issues of race and social justice, and quarterly, all-staff Anti-Racism Townhalls, which provide updates about the agency’s anti-racism initiatives and facilitate conversations about anti-racism.