Therapists Urge Racial Injustice Protesters to Prioritize Mental Health
Published Date: 9/26/2020
Source: Bloomberg QuickTake: Now
They have gathered, rallied and protested for months in Louisville, Kentucky – all in the name of justice for Breonna Taylor. And it has taken its toll. "Something that could come out of fighting for so long is race battle fatigue, which is an actual thing that is studied that has been proven to happen to people over time when you are fighting for social justice," Millicent Cahoon, a local therapist, said Thursday. Cahoon spoke from "Injustice Square," a downtown park that serves as a staging area for protests over the police killing of Breonna Taylor, an emergency medical technician shot when police burst into her home in the middle of the night. "We want to make sure that that hope stays alive, that people still make time during this fight to take care of themselves, to love the people, especially the people who are affected by this," she said. Things have been particularly tense in Louisville – and across the U.S. – since Wednesday, when it was announced that the officers who shot Taylor wouldn't be charged with her death. The decision "was a kick in the gut. And it was a lot. And I cried up until I went to sleep last night. I cried when I woke up this morning," activist Chea (shay) K. Woolfolk said Thursday. The Rev. Raymond Johnson made the trip from South Carolina this week to comfort those who visited the square, which is filled with letters, flowers and signs grouped together. "I talked to several people since I've been out here who've just been feeling bad, feeling that they just don't know how to accept this thing. And I talked to them and prayed with them," Johnson said. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL: Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJ0oQZ Email us at [email protected] QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.