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A Collaborative Approach in Combating Dual Pandemics
NOVA SCOTIA ASSOCIATION OF BLACK SOCIAL WORKERS
For people in the African Nova Scotian community, the year 2020 will be remembered as the year of battling dual pandemics: the COVID-19 pandemic and the anti-Black racism pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced everyone into a different way of living where sanitizing hands, wearing a mask, and connecting virtually for work and with loved ones for communication and play is the new normal. The horrific state violence that led to the murder of George Floyd and the serious injury of Jacob Blake, as well as other traumas, social injustices and blatant acts of anti-Black racism in both Canada and the United States have brought the pandemic of racism to the forefront and to the attention of the wider community, locally and globally.
Since the formation of the Association of Black Social Workers (ABSW) in 1979, the organization has sought to address social injustices in the African Nova Scotian community through their volunteer group of Black social workers and human service workers.
An essential social work practice is collaborating with partners, and ABSW’s effectiveness over these past 41 years is largely due to its ability to work with strategic partners.
On March 22, 2020, when the Government of Nova Scotia declared a provincial state of emergency to help contain the spread of COVID-19, ABSW took decisive action to help create awareness in combating this pandemic within the African Nova Scotian (ANS) community. ABSW established a province wide toll-free number where members of the ANS communities can make referrals based on need. This number served as a key navigation tool that answered calls, queries and questions, provided support and services, and when appropriate made referrals based on the needs of individuals and organizations in the African Nova Scotian community.
ABSW quickly partnered with the Health Association of African Canadians (HAAC, a non-profit health association established in 2000 to promote and improve the health of African Canadians through education, research, health-care delivery and policy reform) to create and deliver on a response and impact plan.
This collaboration resulted in the formation of the ABSW/ HAAC COVID-19 Response Team. By bringing in other partners, they were able to provide province-wide services to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 throughout the African Nova Scotian communities and to address local needs as they arose.
Driven by the need for culturally specific resources to inform and equip the community with timely and relevant information, the ABSW/HAAC COVID-19 Response Team modeled the African proverb “sticks in a bundle are unbreakable.”
Some of the supports provided by the Response team were:
• Sanitation supplies (i.e. wipes, disinfectant sprays, gloves)
• Food distribution
• Culturally specific educational information on COVID-19 on social distancing, wearing a mask, staying safe and washing your hands
• Technology assistance for seniors
• Shelter for those who tested positive with COVID-19 and were not able to self- isolate, including transportation, meals and a comfort gift bag
• Mental health consultants for individuals and group counselling
• Spiritual consultations
• Community grief sessions
Photo provided by ABSW
The success of the collaboration was due in large part to the variety of partners involved.
• An educational coordinator provided their knowledge and experience to the educational queries and requests that were identified via the toll-free number. This was essential to those families who were trying their best to provide home schooling for their children.
• Many African Nova Scotian communities are grounded in spirituality and hence, the African United Baptist Association (AUBA), played a key role in offering spiritual consultations and general counselling to many.
• The Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs supported the Response Team by acting as a navigator in accessing various government programs and services, and appointed a staff person to be the main contact.
• The Department of Community Services (DCS) supported the Response Team with staffing and financial support to assist in shelter relocation and the provision of food to the Preston Township communities. DCS also provided training to ABSW staff and volunteers who worked the toll-free line on screening and registering individuals who may qualify for DCS programs established to assist during the COVID-19 crisis.
Photo provided by ABSW
Community involvement is central to ABSW’s work, and this initiative required grassroots input and information to the Response Team on what was needed in community in real time, and how best to communicate it. Working with the ABSW community intermediary, community coordinators were strategically recruited and positioned in all parts of the province and provided timely information on the various community needs. This enabled the Response Team to ensure that services were available, relevant and culturally specific in each of the ANS communities.
When the anti-Black racism pandemic was brought to the world’s attention through social media, it was a painful reminder of the trauma endured by people of African descent. As APA President Dr. Sandra L. Shullman says:
The anti-Black racism pandemic signaled the Response Team, partners and community intermediaries to host a series of wellness check-ins for the African Nova Scotian community on a range of topics, including grief, parent support, youth engagement and several overall health and wellness discussions. The overriding concern of the Response Team was to ensure that the mental health needs of people were being identified and addressed, in the midst of the pandemic.
A widely used proverb states, “They thought they could bury us; they didn’t know we were seeds.” This proverb speaks to the resilience of the African Nova Scotian community in combating the dual pandemics of 2020.
Recognizing that there could potentially be another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Response Team is now focused on preparing for the longer-term impact. In addition, we acknowledge that the systemic pandemic of anti-Black racism requires systemic responses. To that end, ABSW is committed to working with allies, partners and systems to help facilitate real change to address social injustices in Nova Scotia.
To learn more about the ongoing work of the Nova Scotia Association of Black Social Workers, visit their website at nsabsw.ca. Connect with the Health Association of African Canadians at haac.ca.
REFERENCES:
1. ‘We Are Living in a Racism Pandemic’ says APA President, Kim I. Mills, May 29, 2020, https://www.apa.org/news/press/ releases/2020/05/racism-pandemic
Photo provided by ABSW
