Healing after tragedy

Like so many Americans, I was outraged by events that took place this past week in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. While I do not assert to have all the facts, it is clear something went terribly wrong. In 2003, as a student in the Master’s in Public Health program at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, it was also clear to my classmates and me that economic disparity in the community was ubiquitous.

As the situation unfolded this past week, I found myself transfixed by the media coverage, but also disappointed in the outlets that focused on the few who decided to express their frustrations through destructive means rather than the vast majority of citizens who, to bring attention to a long-standing problem, protested peacefully. As I listened to a number of young people being interviewed, either in a school setting or on the street, I heard the chilling perceptions they communicated, of feeling left to fend for themselves and that their lives do not matter. Whether perceived or real, these beliefs, formed by their lived experience, demand an effective response by community leaders, as well as the federal government. Imagine believing your life does not matter! It is almost impossible to comprehend.

Like all wounds, this chasm is going to take time to heal. However, this is also an opportunity for health professionals to help bring healing to a community in pain. It is truly going to take a village to address the enormity of the deep-seated issues the community has long endured. Through this transformational event, we have all been reminded that economics and race still divide us, producing a narrative that creates misplaced fear about the very people who need our help the most.

Health care providers have a critical role to assume as Baltimore begins to move forward. So many of the youth and adults feel left behind. Hence, we need to provide not only advocacy, but also innovative vision that opens a way forward toward health and economic prosperity.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. Comments are moderated. Those that promote products or services will not be posted.