Dear Colleagues:

In light of the New York City Chapter of National Association of Social Workers dedicating an issue of its newsletter, Currents, to social work with communities of African descent, we, as social workers of African descent, are taking this opportunity to convey a critical and essential perspective about the variables of race and racism to our colleagues in the greater social work community.  This perspective was recently the focus of several discussions that included three Chapter Presidents and, overall, nine social workers of African descent, most of whom have served in leadership positions within NASW-NYC.  The idea for this letter emerged out of these discussions and is intended as an invitation to the overall social work community to enter into an active dialogue about the issues being addressed.

For most of our careers, we have not often been able to openly discuss issues relating to our experiences as social workers of African descent, given the dilemma associated with being misunderstood, turning people off, being isolated, or being seen as racist, ourselves.  Despite this possibility, we believe that it is necessary to address this matter.  We recognize that some of you may be unable to accept these issues as reality.  It is our overriding hope that you will consider the possibility and recognize that our goal is to enhance understanding and better social work practice.

We strongly feel there is a need for this dialogue between social workers of African Descent and other social workers, to enhance our ability to work collaboratively in providing the best possible services to our clients.  Issues of race and racism stand as an obstacle for us as social workers of African descent from bringing our full selves to the work.  It also makes it very difficult to fully discuss the circumstances of our clients’ lives, what it means to live in a white dominant society, and what this tells us about racism.

While we have a great deal to contribute to the understanding of our clients’ lives, this is too often not appreciated by social workers who themselves are not Black.  Perhaps it is a question of not being cognizant of what one does not know and not having to live with the subtle and not so subtle indignities that one experiences as a person of African descent.  Perhaps it is a question of our professional training not adequately focusing on the impact of racism on the lives of people who are Black .  Or perhaps it reflects attempts at being color blind.  Whatever the cause, it is important to convey that in addition to struggling as a social worker and offering services to clients with multiple problems, we, as social workers of African descent, bear the additional burden that we all carry as a result of racism in America.

Too often, we observe our colleagues, who have honorable intentions, missing critical aspects affecting the lives of  their clients of color, whether the dedication of extended family members in helping to raise children even when resources are scarce, misunderstanding what clients mean when being interviewed, or in failing to recognize systemic issues that clients face. This includes the impact of racism itself, which is often integral to the problems clients must contend with.  We are clear that no one comes to social work without the desire to help.  That is why we often observe things without commenting, out of fear of offending or hurting people, or of being ostracized for being too identified with our clients.  What is especially difficult to convey is the painful experience of many social workers of African descent feeling that their insights are not valued or are ignored by their colleagues, even when they are well positioned to bridge the cultural divide that can exist between the agency, its staff, and those being served.  

Even prominent social workers of African descent, recognized leaders in the field, feel frustration at not being able to authentically discuss these issues.  There is always the anticipation that colleagues will respond by saying “there she (or he) goes again”, or that she (or he) is too sensitive and always looking for racism behind every issue.  When leaders experience this, what does this say about more junior staff of African descent?

These experiences undermine hope and work against our entire profession from offering the best that we can to the people we serve.  What is promising is that more social workers have recently been engaging in honest dialogue about these issues, within work settings, schools of social work, and within professional associations such as NASW. That many social workers have sought out training in how to address and respond to racism has been helpful in this development.

We strongly hope this letter can bring other social workers to this awareness.  What we ask of our colleagues is this: listen to what we have to share with you, be open to hearing us, and be willing to initiate discussions about racism yourself.  Coupled with this is the idea of your joining us in this dialogue.  When we are left to initiate these discussions ourselves, we face the risk of being criticized, not knowing where we stand, or worse.  Through authentic dialogue, we can, together, actualize each other.  Isn’t this part of the mission of social work?  We believe this prospect is hopeful and creates new opportunities for how we work together.  It also means providing more meaningful services to all of the communities we serve.

We invite you to share your thoughts about this letter or add your name to the list of co-signers by emailing us at openletter@naswnyc.org or writing to Open letter c/o NASW-NYC, 50 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10004.

* Social Worker X identifies those workers who did not feel safe enough to attach their names to the Open Letter.