Silence is NOT an Option
April 2025
Earth Day
Alcohol Awareness Month
National Autism Awareness Month
- According to the NPR report “In 2022, Black farmers were persistently left behind from the USDA’s loan system,” we learn that the department granted direct loans to only 36% of farmers who identified as Black. In contrast, 72% of white farmers who applied were approved.
- In the webinar Black Americans in Recovery: Addressing Racial Challenges in Addiction Treatment we hear about the bias and stigmas faced by African American people when seeking treatment for alcoholism. Amongst the many facts we hear, we learn that systemic racism (criminalization of this disease) and trauma contribute to treatment disparities between the races.
- For National Autism Awareness Month, we bring your attention to The Autism in Black Podcast. In the episode Voices Unheard: The Black Autistic Experience we specifically hear about the challenging stereotypes that Black autistic individuals face. The stories of the Black autistic individuals in this podcast confirm the following statistic: White children were 19% and 65% more likely to receive a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder than Black and Latinx children
***CALL TO ACTION***
Understand and help promote the needs for Black-Led recovery community organizations (RCOs) in our communities. Some RCO’s in San Diego and Southern California are:
● San Diego Urban League (volunteer opportunities are available at this organization)
● Black Men Heal (this link from their website gives a resource guide on what anyone can do to eliminate the stigmas faced by Black individuals suffering from the disease of alcoholism.)
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
