Manchester NAACP announces ‘Healing Circles’ initiative

MANCHESTER, NH – The Manchester branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (aka NAACP) is now offering a program of monthly Healing Circles for adults and teens of color who have experienced racism. The circles will be led by trained counselors from Therapists of Color New England and funded by the Point32 Health Foundation.

Healing circles are a culturally-based practice that provides a safe space for people of color to talk about and share their lived experiences, cultural and racial pride, and heal from racial trauma. They are a powerful way to allow people from the same background and heritage to heal each other from the wounds of racism and trauma.

“People of all races contact us every week with stories of how they have been discriminated against. or have witnessed discrimination. After the murder of George Floyd we also started hearing about how much just learning about police violence against Black people affected other people of color. We wanted to provide an alternative healing approach for the race-based traumatic stress caused by those acts and other acts of discrimination. This led to our working with Nicole Sublette and Journee LaFond to create the Healing Circles program, said James McKim, president of the Manchester NAACP branch. “We feel extremely grateful to the Point32 Health Foundation for their awarding us a grant to make this program possible.”

Nicole Sublette, MA, LCMHC, owner of Therapists of Color New England, explained the approach.

“As a Black psychotherapist, I have witnessed the impact of racism, oppression, and trauma on the mental health and well-being of many people of color in our community. I have also seen the resilience and strength of our community in coping with these challenges. One of the ways that I have found to be effective in supporting the healing and empowerment of people of color is through healing circles.”

Experiencing racism, discrimination, or oppression is not a mental health pathology.  Healing circles are not a substitute for professional mental health care, but they can complement and enhance it.

For more information or to sign up to participate, click here or email healingcircles.naacp2069@gmail.com

Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists.

The Manchester Branch was formed in 1964. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons. The Manchester NAACP is a c4 organization (contributions are not tax-deductible).