There is an urgency now, as never before, to build on the lessons learned from the double pandemic —racism and COVID-19— in working with young people in communities that have been depicted through skewed lenses, pathologized and punished for ills that derive from the deepest inequities and violations of our most basic human needs. In a climate where statistics and stories are too often used to deny resources, we must listen to the voices of the children and parents and teachers that are too often muted because of their immigration status or the hue of their skin. There is an urgency to undo pathologizing of people and communities that occurs too often in the mental health industries to address fixing the systems that foster poverty, violence, poor performance and despair, instead of blaming the individuals oppressed by them.
Herstory Writers Network, Adelphi University School of Social Work, ERASE Racism, and the Wyandanch School District are coming together in a unique partnership to facilitate the improvement of the educational experience of students within the school district. Historically, structural racism and long-term inequities have continued to impact Wyandanch’s schools and students, and its community.
In an effort to dismantle such systems and support the success of this predominantly Black and Latinx students and community, Herstory Writers Network is offering five (5) second-year MSW students specialized fellowships for the 2023-2024 academic year. Fellows will earn a stipend of $10,000 for the academic year and fulfill their practicum placement requirements working with Herstory and ERASE Racism in the Wyandanch School community. Fellows will have an opportunity to utilize racial and social justice and equity principles on the macro, mezzo and micro levels. The Fellowship includes direct work with students, school administrators, teachers and staff, conducting research and drafting policy recommendations, community organizing, and curriculum development.