Winthrop Active Minds broadcasted a pre-recorded panel discussion originally hosted by the National Active Minds organization on Nov. 19. The event was provided to raise awareness about what minority groups have faced this year in regards to both the pandemic and racism.
Senior chemistry major Sophia Stefanov started the Winthrop Active Minds chapter here at Winthrop and is passionate about mental health advocacy.
The panel featured six students of different minority backgrounds.
“They each kind of shared their story about what they’re going through, what it’s really like with COVID and the pandemic but also racism and how both of those [are] two pandemics in a way. They basically referred to racism as like another pandemic basically.”
Stefanov describes the target audience in mind when speaking about this subject.
“If there can be a platform where education can be distributed then … anyone who sees it I think can benefit because we don’t know what we don’t know until someone brings it up to us or until we are called out or until something dawns on us and I’m like ‘oh yeah, I gotta think about that in a different way,’” Stefanov said.
“I enjoyed listening to the panelists’ personal experiences and perspectives on the outreach to BIPOC students at various institutions,” said Juliet Isaacs, a senior environmental studies major and geography minor. “As a white female, it was a truly enlightening experience and really makes me want to be a part of helping BIPOC students balance the mental health impacts of the pandemic related racism.”
Isaacs shared her opinion of how Winthrop can further raise awareness about the mental health impact of pandemic related racism.
“I believe that Winthrop should definitely address this issue more upfront, just as they have with previous racism-related occurrences, so that the entire Winthrop population can begin thinking about this under-reported issue,” Isaacs said. “If the entire Winthrop community learned about this struggle, either through a high authority figure or even through fellow students, it may urge them to do something about it. The Winthrop family has the amazing ability to stand up and come together as a whole, to face these challenges head–on.”
Stefanov shared the overall effect that she would like for the event to have on students.
“At least someone who might be struggling silently … at least now they know. If someone cared enough to make a club, I’m obviously not the only one struggling with this, and just like feeling accounted for and thought of,” Stefanov said. “I hope that even if the people who need to hear it aren’t hearing it, at the very least, the people who are talking in the panel are getting an opportunity to spread their message across.”
“I think everyone needs to give each other, and themselves, a lot of grace,” said Elizabeth Tate, an advisor for Active Minds, as well as a staff counselor and telehealth coordinator. “Everyone is struggling and while we’re all in the same storm, the kinds of boats we are in are different. Some people are paddling around okay and others are sinking, depending on the other struggles we may be living with (racism, sexism, transphobia, poverty, mental illness, etc.).“We have to be kind to each other and ourselves as the pandemic exacerbates all our other struggles.”
Photo by Kaily Paddie
