By Glenn Hunter When the league which became the National Basketball Association (NBA) formed, absent were the New York Rens. A recent podcast on “Soul Lounge Primetime” was devoted to discussing this forgotten basketball history and the Renaissance Ballroom, the SHRINE where it all happened. The guests on the podcast, “The Harlem Rens: Keeping The Legacy Alive,” were authors,…
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The pandemic, racial reckoning of 2020, a shifting political climate, and the rising cost of living have tested our collective mental health limitations. Then there’s the adage in the Black American community that when white America catches a cold, Black America has pneumonia.
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) need mental health support and interventions, and suffer disproportionate negative consequences from not getting treatment. We have more obstacles to obtaining therapy than our white counterparts.
The American Psychiatric Association has said that some barriers to BIPOC accessing care include lack of insurance, mental illness stigma, distrust of the healthcare system, and lack of diversity among mental health care providers.
However, attitudes are changing, and many options exist for those seeking compatible, culturally competent BIPOC therapists.
More BIPOC are open to receiving mental health support and treatment, decreasing the stigma and distrust of mental health care providers. Many exceptional and engaging BIPOC therapists on social media are popularizing the benefits and availability of culturally informed therapy and discussing various mental health topics. We are becoming more aware of our complex inner lives thanks to Black mental health podcasts discussing breaking generational trauma, overcoming troubled childhoods, recognizing deregulation, and intentional parenting.
In my own life, I’ve observed my friends and family members becoming more open about seeking professional help. The standard approach to mental and emotional challenges was “just pray.” We now know that accepting professional mental health support is okay. It’s not either/or, but both/and. BIPOC are more informed about how improving our mental health improves our physical health and quality of life.
Most therapists see clients virtually, eliminating transportation challenges and making seeing a BIPOC therapist more accessible. It’s a matter of knowing what conversations to have and where to look.
According to Psychology Today, “The advantages of seeing a Black therapist are that it may help Black patients feel more confident [about] beginning therapy, feel more easily understood, and feel a stronger connection to the therapist.” A culturally competent mental health care provider is more effective because there is less to explain, and this added ease lets people feel safe enough to allow vulnerability.
There are compassionate, masterful Black therapists of every specialty, gender, sexual orientation, spiritual background, insurance status, and approach ready to serve the community. We have to start asking for BIPOC therapists. The benefits of finding one are well-known and documented. Therefore, it is time to normalize having this conversation.
Ask your primary care practitioner and insurance provider for a referral to a BIPOC therapist. Many companies have Employee Assistant Programs (EAPs) that offer counseling services. Ask for a BIPOC counselor. The more we ask, the more we will see.
Our racial and cultural experience intersects with all other areas of our lives, including our
mental health. As we become knowledgeable about the benefits of tending to our mental
health, we must find the appropriate solutions.
National and NYC-based referral resources
Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM)—virtual black therapist
Psychology Today—national media organization with Find a Black and
African-American Therapist referral service:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/african-american Claire Julian is the learning & branding coordinator for MPG Consulting, a company committed to eliminating bias and structural racism in the workplace that supports leaders and organizations serving diverse populations by ensuring they are prepared to provide transformative, culturally and racially attuned programmatic, clinical, and administrative services.
This Labor Day was a moment to step back and look at the forces that have led to the decline in labor union membership. Currently, only 6% of private sector employees belong to a union. They are concentrated in motor vehicle-related manufacturing, oil and gas, and mining. We also want to acknowledge the successes of SEIU 32BJ, the hospital workers’ unions, and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
A recent Gallup poll survey reported that 70% of people in the United States had a favorable opinion of unions—60% percent would join a union if the option was available at work. Yet, there is a strong anti-union sentiment among Republicans and near-fanatical opposition by corporations.
The deeper answer to the question is: Yes, unions work, just not for businesses and corporations. In the traditional economic science of efficiency, unions create inefficiency: They increase costs and someone else pays. They misallocate resources.
Unions are different from corporations and consumers. They are a third power group representing workers. Consumers want the cheapest price, businesses want the cheapest labor cost, and unions want higher pay and benefits. It’s an inherent conflict. But the ultimate power broker in the U.S. economy—the consumer—has decided in favor of cheaper prices.
What is the actual cost to the economy of labor unions? Estimates are in the 3/10 of 1% or 0.3% range.
But the question of whether unions are good is really a trap. It might be the wrong question to ask. To understand why, you have to take a step back—a big step back. You have to look at how the U.S. political economy is organized.
Power in the U.S. economy is organized into five basic groups: consumers, corporations and small businesses, government, finance and capital, and labor (workers). Since 1980, each group in the U.S. economy has performed differently: Consumers, business, and finance have done well; government has modestly shrunk; and unions––which represent the bargaining power of workers––have been crushed.
To judge the power of each group over the past 60 years, let’s look at the success and failure of each.
The same way there is inefficiency in any business, like CEO pay being 600 times average worker pay, there are economic inefficacies in unions, like higher wages and bargaining power.
That is the playing field that unions confront.
The U.S. economy has been through three dramatic changes: the shift from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy, and then industrial to service during the 1970s, and finally the growth of high-skilled service workers during the 1990s.
What can unions offer high-skilled workers? To start, unions offer decent working conditions and overtime pay; vacations; job stability; and protections against unfair employment practices. They help balance the power of corporations and promote social justice and worker rights. Their benefits spill over into the larger economy for non-union workers. They promote stability, trust, and productivity in the workplace.
Union myths and facts
Ongoing myths about unions claim they are all corrupt. In the past, unions were corrupt, but union corruption is mostly a thing of the past. Unions are governed by democratic principles, unlike businesses. They elect their leaders in elections that are monitored by the NLRB.
Another myth is that union workers do not work hard. Again, this is far from the truth. They do their job: They are skillful and knowledgeable workers who get the job done safely and on time. In many cases, the real issue is poor management. Corporations often limit overtime, but when problems arise, they blame unions for asking for overtime. They say that unions are inflexible and against bonuses or merit pay.
Corporations also say that unions do not care about the companies they work for. Nothing could be further from the truth. Unions know who is paying their salaries; they simply want to share in the success. During the 1990s, there was a record number of givebacks by unions.
The facts are, though, that some unions were and still are racist. Until recently, many construction unions, police, and fire unions restricted Black membership. Many unions have no Black leadership, and Black people and other minorities have had difficulty with enrolling in apprenticeship programs.
Unions have been known to inflate the cost of infrastructure projects. Over-specialization has hampered projects like the Second Avenue Subway and East Side access. Teacher unions have resisted educational reforms; police unions have resisted reforms like wearing bodycams; and some public sector unions, like fire services, EMS, and government employees, could be more efficient.
Corporation myths and facts
Corporations reportedly hate unions. But it’s only U.S. companies that hate unions. Mercedes Benz and other companies that are not based here are all unionized in their home countries.
Sadly, U.S. corporations have waged a long, vigorous, and successful campaign against private sector unions. They view it as a cost of doing business to hire the best anti-union consultants and lawyers to fight unions tooth and nail.
They have positioned themselves as taking over the moral high ground in the media ever since Ronald Reagan broke the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Association when he fired striking air traffic controllers in 1981. Today they use Fox News to promote anti-union views. They have lobbied for and promoted an anti-union stance under “right-to-work” laws which allow free riders on union contracts. They have used corporate lobbying power to weaken union organizing laws, and they have labeled unions as anti-competitive while they seek monopolies themselves.
Interestingly, some corporations like unions. They like the rules, stability, and predictability of a union contract.
In summary, unions are good for society and the economy. The decline in union power or worker power relative to corporations is not good for society. There has to be some balance or it’s a race to the bottom. Chris Lee is founder of the Black Economics and Business (BEBN) website, https://blackeconbiz.com, which is designed to promote Black economic success and happiness.
HBCUs Grambling State University and Hampton University battled in the Brick City Classic at Red Bull Arena — home of the Red Bulls Major League Soccer team — this past Saturday in Harrison, New Jersey.
Hampton Pirates quarterback Christopher Zellous was 14 of 15 for 155 yards throwing and ran 15 times for 114 yards to lead his team to the 35-31 win. Running back Darran Butts had 103 yards rushing, highlighted by a 40-yard touchdown.
Grambling’s Myles Crawley was 25-of-38 for 311 yards, while receiver Lyndon Rash caught eight passes, scoring one touchdown.
Hampton has won its last six games against Grambling.
Shané Harris, Prudential’s vice president and head of social responsibility, presented the trophy to Hampton.
“On behalf of Prudential, I am thrilled to present Hampton University with the winning trophy from today’s game,” she said. HBCUs are critical to Prudential’s vision to be a global leader in expanding access to investing, insurance, and retirement security, and HBCUs are a crucial component in building generational Black wealth.
“That is why we at Prudential were excited to sign on as the title sponsor for the Brick City HBCU Kickoff Classic.
“And we are just getting started,” expanded Harris. “We have a multipronged strategy to improve the financial health of HBCU students and families, strengthen the capacity and resiliency of HBCU institutions, and position Prudential as an employer of choice for HBCU graduates.”
HBCU battles aren’t just about what happens on the field of play. The bands of both Grambling State and Hampton, accompanied by cheerleaders, played outside of the stadium, to the delight of alumni and fans.
More HBCU football returns to the area as Morehouse College will take on Albany State University at MetLife Stadium Saturday, Sept. 16.
After working hard to find its groove, the volleyball team at Iona University scored a huge win over Georgetown University at last weekend’s VCU Classic. Second-year head coach Andy Mueller is pleased with the intensity and focus the team displayed. Now 2–5 overall, the Gaels are looking toward more success.
“We had a really, really nice win over a strong Georgetown team,” said Mueller. “We have our toughest opponent and the most insurmountable odds stacked against us, so of course, we win that…This was one of those matches that makes you feel, ‘This is why I continue; it’s matches like today.’”
Mueller is well known on the New York City volleyball scene, having previously served as an assistant coach at St. Francis College and Long Island University, as well as working with a high-profile club program. He was hired shortly before the 2022 fall season and found his coaching philosophy a good fit for Iona.
“The things that I already stood for happened to be what they wanted,” said Mueller. “The athletes that were in the program last year when I first got here—they were the type of athletes and young adults that I hoped to train. They take a lot of accountability and responsibility, not just for what they do on the volleyball court, but in the classroom, in the community, as a whole.”
It’s a plus that the student-athletes are able to live a more normal college existence. When Mueller first arrived, he saw that the upperclasswomen had grown weary from the rigid restrictions and meager results due to the pandemic. Having a good season in 2022 put the team back on track. They capitalized on other teams underestimating them, but this year, people are coming for them, so they have to be ready.
“It’s getting back to having fun,” Mueller said. “I’m a serious guy. I love my job and I have an incredible amount of passion for my job, but I want to joke around in the gym and laugh. I know when it’s time to have fun and when it’s time to take care of business. I’m having the most fun when we’re winning, so if we can win more, then we will all have a lot of fun.”
Starting tonight, the Gaels are hosting the Iona Volleyball Tournament, which will also feature Fordham University, LIU, and Boston College. Conference play starts on Sept. 16.
MLBbros manager Dave Roberts and National League MVP candidate Mookie Betts have been leading the Dodgers to their ninth NL West division title in 10 years. However, one of the unsung heroes for the star-studded team in Los Angeles has been the veteran MLBbro Jason Heyward.
Heyward was signed by the Dodgers back in December of 2022 on a minor league contract.
The MLBbro veteran ended up making the opening day roster and has provided an invaluable contribution to the team. A 14-year veteran with tons of playoff experience was sure to help any team, especially one such as the Dodgers with high expectations every postseason.
“They were the first team to call, the second team to call, and the third team to call,” Heyward said to USA Today Sports. “No one was willing to give [me] a major league contract, but they were at least willing to give me a minor league deal and give me a chance.”
Just like in Chicago, where he helped bring the Cubs organization its first World Series in 108 years in 2016, Heyward has been a veteran presence in the Dodgers dugout and locker room, providing wisdom and experience to his teammates. For that reason, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gave Heyward the ultimate compliment: “He’s on the Mount Rushmore of favorite players I’ve been around,” Roberts said. “He has a new lease on life, a new freshness. He’s been a big part of this. I’m honored to be sharing the same uniform with him.” The MLBbro is a former All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner, and most importantly, a World Series champion. Adding someone of his pedigree, along with their other roster additions and culture, shows that the team is all in on another championship run,
Not only has Heyward been having a resurgent campaign, but he is also heating up in the final stretch of the season. In the month of August, he batted over .300 and only struck out five times in 56 plate appearances. With 13 home runs, Heyward has hit more long balls this season than his last two seasons combined. His current batting average, .262, has not been this high since the 2018 season.
Some of Heyward’s rebirth can be attributed to being reunited with his former Atlanta Braves teammate Freddie Freeman. However, the major reason is his love for the game, and he has said that this year, he is enjoying playing the game again. His last few years in Chicago were met with disdain due to a hefty contract and underwhelming results.
Heyward still helped bring a championship to the Windy City amidst all the criticism, and is proving this year that he still has something left in the tank. Dave Roberts has placed the veteran in a role in which he can excel easily, and he has done that.
