From the Margins to the Center: Cultivating Collective Healing with Soulcial Work Praxis

Authors

Alexis Jemal, Hunter College
Diana Melendez, CUNY Graduate Center
Olivia Hunte, University of Denver
Diana Ballesteros, CUN Graduate Center
Gita R. Mehrotra, Portland State UniversityFollow

Sponsor

This research was supported by the PSC-CUNY Enhanced grant award. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of PSC-CUNY.156A. JEMAL ET AL.

Published In

Smith College Studies in Social Work

Document Type

Citation

Publication Date

10-13-2023

Abstract

Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color (BIWOC) educators working in predominantly White institutions (PWIs) disproportionately experience violence rooted in historical, structural, and interpersonal oppressions that negatively impact mental and physical health which necessitates multi-level healing. In response, a BIWOC educators’ healing circle incorporated Critical Transformative Potential Development (CTPD) to create a collective and collaborative healing process from the harm of institutional gendered racism. The BIWOC circle integrated decolonial strategies, including storytelling and healing spaces, to encourage the cultivation of sustainable health and wellness practices. Through the reflective narratives of four BIWOC healing circle participants, we consider the ways CTPD can be a decolonizing force. Participant narratives support the introduction of Soulcial Work Praxis (SWP), and its evolution from CTPD, as a decolonizing theoretical framework for soul care, transformation, and healing, proclaiming that rebellion is our salvation, community is our protection, and healing is our liberation. The SWP dimensions within participants’ reflections highlight our pillars of humanity: space, grace, time, and opportunity. Considerations for broader application in social work education, research, and practice are also presented.

Rights

© 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Description

https://doi.org/10.1080/00377317.2023.2263572

Locate the Document

https://doi.org/10.1080/00377317.2023.2263572

DOI

10.1080/00377317.2023.2263572

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/41284

Citation Details

Jemal, A., Melendez, D., Hunte, O., Ballesteros, D., & Mehrotra, G. R. (2023). From the Margins to the Center: Cultivating Collective Healing with Soulcial Work Praxis. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 93(2–4), 130–159.