By Thomas Cathey | Special To The OBSERVER
There are few spaces in the U.S. where Black and African American men can truly express and develop themselves emotionally. However, there are local programs seeking to provide a place in which Black men can be unencumbered by the heavy expectations and stereotypes society brings upon them.
Black Men: Alive and Well is a support group for Black and African American men in Sacramento that has had a positive effect on many community members. Local mental health professional Roland Williams founded the group nearly two years ago and it has gone strong since.
Sessions are hosted twice monthly by OnTrack Program Resources, a Sacramento nonprofit consulting and training company that “helps organizations achieve diversity, equity and inclusion through culturally responsible methods.” Paul Moore, OnTrack’s program service manager, regularly leads the group, as Williams no longer can.
“The big word for the group is ‘authentic’. You can be your authentic self,” Moore told The OBSERVER. “You’re not code switching. That is powerful. And I don’t think a lot of us realize how much code switching [we do]. We don’t know we’re doing it, right? I’ve been code switching all my life.”
Code-switching is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the switching from the linguistic system of one language or dialect to that of another.”
Early on, the group attracted people such as Chevist Johnson who actively worked in the community. Johnson serves as a violence intervention specialist for UC Davis’ wraparound program and regularly is exposed to violence and the trauma it brings.
“We service patients ages 13-26 who’ve been shot, stabbed or severely assaulted, and then we provide case management and resources for up to a year after they’re discharged from the hospital,” Johnson said. “It’s basically working with the clients, mentoring and serving them in as many ways as we possibly can, helping them to create a path to sufficiency and recovery, physically, mentally and emotionally. [Also we] connect them to mental health resources, as well as other community resources that can help them get back on their feet and achieve any goals that they have.”
Upon connecting with the group, Johnson felt immediately at home. He found the group to be a place where he could unload emotionally. He also was fascinated to learn about Black men from all kinds of backgrounds and cultures. Johnson has regularly attended group meetings since its inception and sometimes facilitates.
“It’s a liberating feeling to be in a place where you can talk with other people and, again, regardless of what background [or] ideology we come from, we all have a common goal and that’s helping each other overcome whatever it is that we need to overcome that week,” Johnson said.
Moore said he has met all kinds of outstanding individuals through the group and believes it has been great for networking. The group, he said, has been a safe space for people who engage in heavy and emotionally draining community work.
“In the beginning, almost for about a year, I’d say almost half the brothers that were in there were brothers like Chevist, like myself, who work in other nonprofit organizations in the community, and [are] doing it; interacting with our community members and Black folks and all the trauma that occurs out there,” Moore said. “This was the place that we came, as community workers, to unload.”
The group meets at 6 p.m. on first and third Mondays at OnTrack’s downtown office. Learn more at OnTrack’s website.