Tag Archives: Black

Overturning Roe v. Wade will disproportionately affect people of color; Here is what social workers should know

By Mel Wilson, LCSW, MBA The leaked report of a draft Supreme Court ruling to completely overturn the seminal abortion rights opinion Roe v. Wade sent shockwaves throughout the country. While most reproductive health and other social justice advocates expected the conservative-leaning court would “gut” Roe v. Wade, they did not anticipate the absolute evisceration of the law. In that Roe ... Read More »

COVID Vaccine Hesitancy in Communities of Color: A National Concern

By Mel Wilson, MBA, LCSW NASW Senior Policy Advisor While much of the nation is beginning to return to a degree of normalcy since the start of national COVID vaccine distribution, there are still  nagging and serious barriers to ending the pandemic in the United States. One major barrier is vaccine hesitancy in communities of color – especially among Black and Brown ... Read More »

No Longer Invisible: Understanding the Psychosocial Impact of Skin Color Stratification in the Lives of African American Women

Social workers work with clients who face various disadvantages due to social stigma, discrimination, and oppression. These disadvantages range from race, to ethnic origins, to gender, to sexual orientation, and beyond. One important factor in social stigma and discrimination that social workers need to be more aware of is colorism. “Colorism” is defined as discrimination based on skin tone. This ... Read More »

Social workers discuss importance of advance care plan

By Paul R. Pace, News staff Deborah Waldrop understands the importance of discussing health care decisions before a crisis occurs, and she encourages social workers to take advantage of National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16 by helping their clients with advance care planning. “By providing information and promoting conversations, NHDD has the potential to facilitate powerful changes on how ... Read More »