BLACK/MENTAL/HEALTH? Afropessimism, Suicide, Therapy

AbolitionISH

Content Warning: This episode features explicit discussion of Black suicide and suicidal ideation.

We're thrilled to welcome two newbies to the podcast for complementary conversations on afropessimism and black mental health.

First up is swim., a Philly-raised musician and PhD student in the Department of Comparative Literature at UC Irvine. After being introduced to existentialism through rap and poetry at a young age, swim. continues to pursue questions about Black existence in his music and theory. On this episode, he tells us about the first poem he wrote, shares some (mis)conceptions about afropessimism, and teases his in-progress dissertation thinking suicide as a problem for thought. Oh, and a song!

We're then joined by Dalyn Pacheco-Smith, a Black LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) from San Bruno, California now living in Metro Detroit. After receiving his Master's in Counseling Psychology with a focus on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Marriage and Family Therapy, Dalyn worked with Black youth in Oakland. And, after experiencing firsthand the limits of therapy as a client and clinician, he's imagining a different approach to being with Black clients, inside and outside of the room. On this episode, he shares stories of practicing-while-Black and his audacious hope for a future where Black rage lives.

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