"From Therapy to Advocacy, Principles to Practice," at TAMFT

Here are some interesting photos of interesting people who presented some interesting ideas recently. They grasp the larger issues of the Black farmer struggle and how it's embedded in our larger social context. They get it that injustice continues across our land. These are students in the MFT program at Abilene Christian University who have devoted their time and energies to putting their ideas onto the page and out into the public arena. The setting was the annual conference of the Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Galveston, March 27, 2008. For those not in academic settings, the "poster session" is one in which they literally put up a poster with their ideas on it. They stand in front of the poster and engaged passers-by in conversation about it. Also, they presented their ideas in a larger research forum. From what I heard (I couldn't be there due to family matters), it was a lively presentation complete with a challenging question or two from the audience.

Here is what a few of them said about the experience.

Rebecca: "When I attended the Black Land Loss Summit I was overwhelmed and moved by the stories of struggle, racism and resilience. Their stories were embedded with multiple levels of factors that affected their landscape of discrimination and hardship. Communicating this within a conceptual model at the TAMFT Conference through words and graphics was complicated. Although their experiences were told, it was frustrating to not be able to relay the emotional sorrow I felt at the Black Land Loss Summit within a professional setting."

Kimberly: "An explanation of our conceptual model was sandwiched in

between our two other speakers in the forum. As a representative of the third social justice research team, I spoke about the various social structures at work regarding the issue of black farmers and land loss. Our diagram depicts several groups of concentric circles denoting the micro and macro levels of these structures. One group represents the government, another advocacy. There is one for the field of marriage and family therapy, and one is representing the black farmers. These various structures move throughout time with various levels of the system interacting with various levels of another system. The structures within their historical and cultural contexts. I told about one example where there was a collision of these structures. A few members of our research team were able to attend the 10th Annual Black Land Loss Summit where representatives from the USDA were present along with Advocacy reps. As the cultural context is still saturated with injustice, at these points of collision we endeavor to bring change."

Scott: "Presenting at the conference was both exhilarating and sobering. The thrill of presenting the stories that I have delved in for the last year to fellow therapists to help them understand the plight of the black farmer pushed me to work hard to honor their stories through our team’s efforts. A certain sadness followed the realization that many still do not understand or choose to hear the extent of the marginalization of the black farmers; even those with ears to hear can choose to block out the voices that challenge their schema. Clearly we live within the tension of celebrating the victories of those whose stories we tell and fighting further battles to keep the story from ending prematurely."

Michelle: "For the TAMFT conference I spoke briefly about social justice foci in curricular and co-curricular endeavors among COAMFTE approved MFT programs. A major component to my part of the presentation was emphasizing the importance of stimulating second-order change within MFT programs and the individuals comprising the program. Taking on matters of social justice, regardless of the group undergoing oppression, requires change within oneself as well as inspiring and seeking the amelioration of suffering and oppression through others. Being willing and aware of ways to incorporate diversity in an MFT program requires listening and learning from a wider array of individuals than before. I also emphasized the importance of incorporating diverse readings and other assignments that challenge the dominant culture and MFT models allowing for others to contribute to the theories and implementation of MFT."

Others spoke. Maybe we can get their words out here the next few

days or so.

Thanks to Jeff Emery, MFT at ACU student and professional photographer, for his skills in capturing these images.