>> ONE WEEK AGO, MEMPHIS POLICE RELEASED VIDEO OF THE BEATING OF TYRE NICHOLS. HIS
DEATH SPARKED PROTESTS AND LED
TO THE ARREST OF 5 POLICE
OFFICERS. FOR MANY OF US, THE
STORY WEIGHS HEAVILY ON OUR
HEARTS AND MINDS. AND JOINING
ME TODAY IS MERLIN BAKER, A
THERAPIST WITH BLACK MALE
THERAPIST. SO GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH
THE MORNING. ABSOLUTELY. WE
WATCHING THAT VIDEO HAS BEEN
PARTICULARLY HARD FOR A LOT OF
PEOPLE, BUT ESPECIALLY PEOPLE
OF COLOR, BLACK PEOPLE IN
PARTICULAR. WHAT ARE SOME WAYS
THAT PEOPLE CAN KIND OF DEAL
WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING WITHOUT
COMPLETELY AVOIDING IT. I
THINK FIRST OF ALL, WE CAN THE
FACT THAT THIS WAS KIND OF AN
ANOMALY.
>> AND THAT THERE WERE 6 COPS
WANT CAUCASIAN COP THAT SHOT
THE TASER AND 5 AFRICAN
AMERICAN COPS THAT KILLED TYRE
NICHOLS. SO THAT’S AN ANOMALY
BECAUSE TYPICALLY WE DON’T SEE
THAT. FIRST OF ALL, I THINK
THE SECOND THING THAT WE HAVE
TO DO IS BE HONEST THAT THIS
REALLY AFFECTS A LOT OF
PEOPLE. I’M THANKFUL THAT NOT
ONLY AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND
MOVE FORWARD AND TRYING TO
FIGHT FOR JUSTICE AND FREEDOM,
BUT ALL PEOPLE OF COLOR
RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IMPASSE,
THE COMMUNITY ON A VERY
TRAUMATIC LEVEL.
>> WE KNOW WHILE THIS IS AN
ANOMALY, AS YOU MENTIONED,
THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME
THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE OF
COLOR HAVE BEEN SEEN IN VIDEOS
LIKE THIS. HOW DO YOU COPE
WITH THAT? DOES CAUSE ANY TYPE
OF
>> PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA. YEAH.
THAT BRINGS UP A LEVEL A
RACE-BASED TRAUMA AS TO WHERE
YOU BECOME HYPER VIGILANT. YOU
BECOME DEPRESSED INCHES. YOU
DO WITH ALL TYPES OF ON WANT
TO END SO TYPICALLY WHAT I
ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO, NUMBER
ONE, THEY START RUMINATED
RIHANNA, ME THAT THOSE
THOUGHTS ARE REPEATED. I WOULD
ENCOURAGE THEM TO SEEK HELP
AND SEEK TREATMENT.
>> AND WHAT DOES THAT
TREATMENT LOOK LIKE? DOES THAT
START? WHICH IS SPEAKING, WHAT
SOMEONE?
>> I THINK FIRST OF ALL, LET’S
START WITH SPEAKING TO
YOURSELF AND MAKING YOURSELF
MORE WITH THE GREATEST
AWARENESS IS SET UP A WAY TO
SOMEONE. NUMBER 2 THAT MAKE
ALSO WANT TO GET PROFESSIONAL
HELP WITH THE THERAPIST. SO I
WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TAKE
THOSE STEPS, CONTINUE TO TALK
ABOUT THIS. AND IF YOU FEEL AS
IF YOU’RE JUST SO NERVOUS, I
WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEEK
PROFESSIONAL HELP.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: AND LET’S
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
FAMILIES BECAUSE THEY’RE ALSO
SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, LITTLE
KIDS SEEING THESE VIDEOS. WHAT
CONVERSATION CAN A PARENT, HOW
WITH THE CHILD ABOUT WHAT’S
GOING ON? I THINK NUMBER ONE,
THEY HAVE TO BE VERY CANDID
ABOUT THE SITUATION BECAUSE
THIS IS A VERY CANDID
SITUATION THAT WE’RE SEEING.
NUMBER ONE.
>> NUMBER 2, I THINK PARENTS
HAVE TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES
ABOUT THE TYPES OF TRAUMA THAT
PEOPLE EXPERIENCE AS A LEVEL
OF ACUTE TRAUMA AS WITNESS A
SINGLE EVENT. THEN THERE’S A
LEVEL OF CHRONIC PROLONGED
TRAUMA THAT WE CONSTANTLY SEE
THE POLICE BRUTALITY AND
THINGS OF THAT NATURE. BUT
THEN DOESN’T LOVE A COMPLEX
TRAUMA AS WELL. SO I THINK
EDUCATING THE CHILDREN ABOUT
TRAUMA IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT
SITUATION THAT THEY NEED TO
DO.
>> AND SPEAKING ON A PROLONGED
TRAUMA, WE KNOW RACE IS
SOMETHING THAT’S, YOU KNOW,
BEEN HAPPENING IN AMERICA FOR
CENTURIES. HOW DO YOU NOT FEEL
DEFEATED? HOW YOU CONTINUE TO
MAKE PROGRESS MENTALLY? I
THINK ALWAYS MADE PROGRESS IS
AFRICAN-AMERICANS. WE’VE
ALWAYS BEEN OVER COMMERCE.
>> WE ALWAYS BEEN VERY
RESILIENT INDIVIDUALS. BUT I
THINK IN RON, WE CAN CONTINUE
TO BE RESILIENT AND BE
PRAYERFUL TO BE HOPEFUL WITH
THE HELP OF A THERAPIST AS
WELL.
>> AND SPEAKING ON THERAPY, I
KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY IT’S
IMPORTANT TO HAVE A THERAPIST
THAT LOOK LIKE THEM THAT CAN
RELATE TO THAT TYPE OF TRAUMA.
DO YOU THINK THAT THAT’S A
CENTRAL?
>> I THINK THAT’S IMPORTANT
FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. I THINK
HAVING SOMEONE THAT CAN
IDENTIFY WITH THE STRUGGLE IS
A VERY POWERFUL, TOO, BECAUSE
THE HEALTH PEOPLE TO BE MORE
CANDID ON US ABOUT THE FILMS
THAT FALL IN THE ISSUES THAT
THE FILM IN A SPIRIT AS WELL
AS A PSYCHE. AND WHERE CAN
PEOPLE GO FOR MORE RESOURCES
SO MORE RESOURCES? THEY COULD
DO A COUPLE THINGS THEY CAN
CALL THE INSURANCE COMPANY.
NUMBER ONE THEY CAN USE TO THE
AP. THAT’S AN ACRONYM FOR
EMPLOY IMPORTANT SERVICE PRO
AND PLUS SYSTEM BENEFITS. BUT
THEY CAN ALSO GIVE US A CALL
AT 904, 322-2162. AND WE CAN
RESPOND ASKING THE QUESTIONS