Statement from the Black Student Nurses Association

June 11, 2020

To fellow Meyers nursing students,

First and foremost, the Black Student Nurses Association would like to address the timing of our response to recent events. In all honesty, it has been hard to find the right words to address the issue of systematic racism in this country, and yet again, more Black lives are lost because of it.

We continue to navigate through these tough times as the pandemic disproportionately affects Black Americans across the country. We also mourn the Meyers students and faculty at BLM protestdeaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. These instances of police brutality and aggression were acts of violence carried out by those who hold both power and privilege in a society intertwined with systemic racism. The Black Students Nurses Association at NYU stands in solidarity with you, our beloved community. We hope this message finds each and every one of you well, in good health, and with love. We understand that it is a difficult time for many and encourage you all to put your mental health and wellbeing at the forefront. This may be achieved by unplugging and taking a break from media coverage and news outlets that showcase violent acts, which can be triggering and harmful despite being informative.

As the executive board of BSNA, it is our duty to foster the wellbeing of Black students at NYU Meyers by advocating for your needs. We will continue to work hard in fulfilling our mission of empowering future nurses, and will do so by providing education, compassion, and encouraging inclusivity. We hope to not only reach Black student nurses with this message, but white and non-black students of color as well, with the intent of providing social and cultural awareness. As we have seen over the past couple of months, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exacerbate the healthcare disparities in the Black community and Black Americans are disproportionately affected by the virus. The government continues to be ill-prepared and slow to act. This has only resulted in more Black lives being put at risk as our frontline workers pleaded for more protection, more supplies, and more tests. We applaud all frontline and essential workers who have put their lives on the line every day, and continue to serve our communities so fearlessly.  

Mental illness disproportionately impacts the Black community. Racism continues to have a large impact on the mental health of Black Americans as prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping often results in feelings of dejection, leading to clinical depression, anxiety, PTSD, and more. Furthermore, as we have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Americans have limited access to mental health resources within their communities. We have provided Black mental health and healing resources below to help students achieve mental clarity in these moments of uncertainty.

As the next generation of Black healthcare workers, it is our duty to acquire knowledge about prevalent issues in society and use it to foster change. As the BSNA mission states, we must advocate for the Black community, involve NYU in related activities, serve as mentors for future Black nurses, and serve our community to the best of our ability. Combating social injustice in the healthcare field starts with us. Below are additional resources we can use to educate ourselves and others.

With heavy hearts and hopeful spirits,

The Black Student Nurses Association Executive Board

 

Resources

Anti-Racism and Education:

Black Mental Health and Healing: 

Activism Resources

Protest Safety:

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