What does it mean to WATCH?!?
When we watch, we look for something. In 1863, enslaved people in the U. S., African Americans, looked for emancipation from the peculiar institution of slavery.
Saturday night is Watch Night, a late-night tradition in some African American communities to mark the end of slavery at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
This year, 2022, is the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Lincoln on September 22, 1862, and taking effect on January 1, 1863, ordering that enslaved individuals in all areas still in rebellion against the United States during the Civil War “henceforward shall be free.” The Proclamation was limited in scope, but revolutionary in impact.
Many people attend Watch Night services as a religious tradition but it is in fact a cultural one.
January 1 also marks Haitian Independence from the French. The first Black Republic in the Western Hemisphere. The independence was in 1804 and will be 219 years in 2023. This too is significant because it was a successful slave rebellion which also made it possible for the U. S. to purchase Louisiana from France. 🇭🇹 🇭🇹
As we conclude Kwanzaa celebrations, let us remember our collective struggles for emancipation and healing. We must look out for one another and make the Nguzo Saba our lifestyle.
❤️🖤💚❤️🖤💚❤️🖤💚
Let us WATCH as well as PRAY
Published by sistateacher
In 2001, I received my BSW degree from Ramapo College of New Jersey with a double minor in Public Policy and African American Studies afterwards I entered the MSW program with Advanced Standing at Yeshiva University. In 2004, I received my Master's in Social Work degree and my PhD in Social Welfare in 2022 from Yeshiva University-Wurzweiler School of Social Work. The research study topic was "The Phenomenological Exploration of Academic Re-engagement for High School Completion" The qualitative method was used to examine students who leave high school before graduation and choose service-learning for high school completion.
Professionally, I have credentials as a School Social Worker, Supervision in Field Instruction (SIFI), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC), Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) and Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS).
My practice experience has been in the areas of substance abuse with/without medication assistance, mental health, and education/special education. Currently, I am a Program Coordinator, Adjunct Professor, and Community Advocate, Activist, and Organizer, Founder/Executive Director of Balm In Gilead Community Services, Inc, a non-profit organization in the City of Newark, and Chief Executive Officer of Making Connections Professional Services LLC.
My professional goal is to formulate and implement policy to address the systemic issues related to racism, poverty, education, violence, and health care. Also, advocate and articulate the negative effect of those issues to decision-makers for providing a better understanding of the impact/outcome of those decisions upon individuals, families, and communities that are underserved, under-resourced, marginalized, and disenfranchised. I am a member of the finest organization, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
#advocate #activist #organizer who talks about #love #wellness #antiviolence #wellbeing #socialwork #mentalhealth #education #health #antiracism #poverty
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