VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE # 212
AIR DATE: 02 04 2022
TRANSCRIPT

OPEN ((VO/NAT/SOT))

((NATS/SOTs))

What’s going on everybody? I’m Miles.

We are resilient as a people but it’s like a forced resiliency, if that makes sense. You know what I’m saying, like we’re resilient because we have to be.

It’s okay to be, be through some stuff. It’s okay to grow up in the worst areas in the city of Milwaukee. It’s okay to go through some sh**. That’s why people, you know, connect with other people.

I’m doing what society told me and as a man is to be strong, be on, provide, do all the stuff you’re supposed to do. So, I never learned how to be vulnerable.

I got a lot of game for being in White schools.

To get the trust, like Corey said, he had to earn that White man's trust.

Seeing how much wisdom there is in the room.

((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
One of the biggest things that Black Space wants to do, and it is our passion, is to destigmatize wellness within Black and Brown communities. One of the biggest stigmas is, “Hey, I don’t even know where to go to try to find a therapist that looks like me.”
((Open Animation))

BLOCK A


((PKG)) BLACK SPACE
((TRT: 24:00))
((Topic Banner: Black Space))
((Producer/Video Editor: Lisa Vohra))
((Camera: Randall Taylor, Jr.))
((Map: Milwaukee, Wisconsin))
((Main Character: 1 female, 2 males))
((Sub-Character: 7 males))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Text-on-Video))
Black Space provides informal group therapy for underserved communities.
One session is for Black men, to provide support for general mental health and discuss issues specific to their lives.)) ((NATS: Phone ringing; Dr. Lia. A. Knox and Darius Smith))
Darius: Hey, what you want Dr. Knox?
Dr. Knox: We’re down here. We need help. We saw you outside. Come down here so you can help me with these boxes. Where’s Corey?
Darius: I’m right here. Here I come, here I come. I’m just grabbing some stuff. Hold on.
Dr. Knox: Okay. Is Corey up there or is Corey at home?
As he hangs up on my face. This is why we fight all the time. I get no respect. I get no respect. How about I hold that door open and you come get some boxes? Okay, that’s better.
Is Corey here or is he still at his house?
Darius: No, he’s here. I was getting some food and everything. I was just, I was getting some like ginger beer, no, not ginger beer…
((NATS))
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
So with Black Space, it’s such a wonderful and serendipitous connection. Corey and I have known each other for a while and we had a relationship, a therapeutic relationship. ((NATS: Corey Fells))
That’s actually my forte.
((Corey Fells
Co-Founder, Black Space))
I was able to talk to someone that just, wanted to just listen and not present a solution unless I asked for one. It honestly felt like I was talking to a friend at the time.
((NATS: Darius Smith))
You want to jump?
((Darius Smith
Co-Founder, Black Space))
Corey has been telling me to go to Dr. Knox beforehand. So, I understand he used to tell me the value of therapy, how much it helped him out and everything like that. I came up with the idea like man, why don’t we just hold free group therapy, you know, free group therapy for the Black and Brown communities.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
This is one of the baskets that I collect and I bring along with me. I don’t buy new things for artwork when I fill Black Space, the space of Black Space, because I want it to feel personal. That’s very, very important to me and to our group because if it’s from the heart, I believe that it has the energy of what we bring there, which is love, which is giving, which is thoughtfulness, and which is healing.
((NATS))
((Corey Fells
Co-Founder, Black Space))
We want to make sure that every person feels very comfortable in their own space. And that like the tightness of a lot of these chairs or just the singleness of all of these chairs allows people to feel like they have their own space, they have their own agency, that they can feel more comfortable with showing their vulnerability.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Armando Saafir
Live Event & DJ))
I’m Armando. I’m 25. My friend Corey, he invited me to the session.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Miles Sigh
Account Executive, iHeartRadio))
I’m Miles Sigh. I’m 24 years old and I have never been to Dr. Knox's therapy session or to a therapy session in general.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
So that, Darius and Corey kind of get things started.
((Corey Fells
Co-Founder, Black Space))
Hey, everybody. My name is Corey Fells. Darius and I and Dr. Knox kind of started this because we experienced our own like mental anguish or specifically mental trauma. And to be very honest, I experienced it a lot when it came to like me being in the military and also COVID hitting. And I think, and also my mom passing, that like, pretty much been on my own since I was the age of 17.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Corey Fells
Co-Founder, Black Space))
I went to a predominantly White high school. My mom wanted me to be able to have like the best education and just the best resources possible. So, she enrolled me into this 220 program, which is a lottery essentially, for inner city kids to be bussed out to suburban schools. And I would have to get my first bus at 5:30 [a.m.] just to be able to attend school on time at 7:45 [a.m.]. I had to take three buses in order to get to, get to school on time.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Corey Fells
Co-Founder, Black Space))
I told everybody I'm good friends with, “You need to have a therapist. You need to have somebody to talk to.” And one of those people ended up being Darius. And Darius, do you want to add anything to that?
((Darius Smith
Co-Founder, Black Space))
I guess the biggest thing with Black Space is just, you know, it's a lot of stuff within our community that we push to the side and we feel like, this is how things are supposed to be, when it's honestly, that's not the case at all. We have a lot of internalized trauma that we all go through that we think is just regular stuff and we, you know, kind of hold it in and we kind of just deal with it. What kind of got to this point of wanting to do free therapy? Throughout the summer, I led a lot of the [Black Lives Matter] protests throughout the summer [of 2020], four to five thousand people so far on. And when I was in the protests, you know, talking to four thousand people, I cried in front of the crowd.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Darius Smith))
((Darius Smith
Co-Founder, Black Space))
And that was the first time, me as a man, me as a father, me as someone’s son, blah blah blah, I was able to be vulnerable, not just for myself but for others around me. And for me to be vulnerable, that vulnerable at that and be able to shed those tears, it was more so for me like shedding the skin that I had, not just me as a Black man but just me as a person. To grow, you’ve got to feel uncomfortable, you know. So, that's what Black Space is.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
Well, I’ll also tell you a bit about myself because, with Black Space in the realm of psychology and therapy, I don't know if any of you have heard this but in our books and our Bible of psychology, the way I was taught was when you have a client or someone who comes to therapy, you’re only supposed to listen to them and you’re not supposed to tell them much about yourselves, right? How many of you all have heard that before?
((NATS: Dr. Lia A. Knox))
We got pens for signatures. Make sure we have, we got the wellness resources.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
In high school, I did fall prey and experienced depression and anxiety. Mental illness ran heavily and rampant in my community. So many of the youth that I hung out with were diagnosed with mental illnesses that could have been treated. But instead, they went to jail first or the legal system got involved.
((NATS: Dr. Lia A. Knox))
Just put it on this chair.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
So, I'll tell you a bit about myself because I highly believe in telling you a bit about myself. No need for you to be sitting here talking to a stranger. You don't know me. So, here you go.
So, I'm Dr. Knox, Dr. Lia Knox. I am born and raised here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I love this city so much. My passion is helping people of color. So, I've been [to] Afghanistan, Haiti, Turkey, during the war-torn times because that was the time the people needed the most help. Not that I was trying to save anybody but my heart called me there. We want to be well. As soon as someone says, “I'm ill. I don't feel good.” That's a negative, right? How many of you all have denied being sick and your leg just fell off? But we want to make sure that we take care of ourselves and to talk about just stuff. What's on your mind? What's going well? What things are going on with your family? What went on with your careers, during COVID, before COVID? When was the last time that happened for you all? Has it ever happened? Raise your hand. Yes. Uh-huh.


BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))


BLOCK B


((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
Yes. Uh-huh.
((Ranell Washington
Entrepreneur))
Depending on your upbringing and like the type of parents, guardians, whoever raised you were there, like you learn some of their behaviors that they do. And I know the last time I was in a relationship, I was talking to my pastor about some of the things we're going through. And he was like, “Are you vulnerable and transparent with her?” And I was like, “What is that?” Like no, like I'm doing what society told me and as a man is to be strong, be on, provide, do all the stuff you supposed to do. So, I never learned how to be vulnerable.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
What you mention, you know, women have these spaces and it's more preventive. Like I could just be walking down the street and doing whatever, “Girl, what are you doing?” “Nothing, I’m just going on out.” “Want to go for a drink? Want to go to the mall?” We don't buy anything and we just end up talking about life and what might happen next year or what if I get married and all this other stuff. And guess what? Nothing was wrong. It was all preventive. Just a talk and a chit-chat. So, there can be some differences there between, you know, Black and Brown men and Black and Brown women. But others of you raised your hand, when was the last time, if any time, you had group talks or even one-on-one talks with men in your life? And some people raised their hand. Yes.
((Miles Sigh
Account Executive, iHeart Radio))
I think it's about like I think the biggest difference between having a space like that with your boys and like having them with your partner is just like, oftentimes you're in a space where you're already more vulnerable with your partner than you are with your boys. So, like when I’m with my boys, I might not be as vulnerable because I just like I'm not used to that. I'm not used to presenting that side of myself. And I think that a lot of it comes from like Black and Brown people just being resilient. You know what I’m saying? Like we are resilient as a people but it's like a forced resiliency, if that makes any sense, you know what I’m saying.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
Yeah. It does.
((Miles Sigh
Account Executive, iHeartRadio))
Like we're resilient because we have to be. You know what I'm saying? Like that's happened over time and it's not something that we necessarily wanted for ourselves but it's just something that has happened because that's how we live here in America.
((Miles Sigh
Account Executive, iHeartRadio))
The session today for me was a great learning experience. Not only that a lot of young men are going through a lot of the same challenges that I am but also how beneficial it can be just from a standpoint that like understanding that I'm good enough, you know, just coming as I am. I'm fine just the way I am. And I understand that each and every day is a struggle but each and every day is a chance to make yourself the best that you can be.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
Well, with Black and Brown men, having to do twice the work in our society, whether it be at work, whether it be at home, at times feeling this and then it being said to you in many avenues in your life. How do you think that affects you on a daily basis as far as your functioning mentally and physically?
((Armando Saafir
Live Event & DJ))
Historically, going all the way back to slavery and we know how impactful slavery was on American culture, we weren't allowed to express. Just period. We weren't allowed to express. We weren't allowed to learn. It was only work and just basic, basic means of survival. Eat, drink, sleep, work. And that was it. Even after slavery was outlawed, there's so many different things that were set up to put us at a disadvantage. And we just had to roll with the punches and smile in people's faces even though we were being mistreated. And, you know, we found a way to express and create.
((Armando Saafir
Live Event & DJ))
Every other venue hesitates to book Milwaukee talent because you look at their music videos and listen to their music. It's all drug money, guns, beef, all of that stuff. But I mean, that's just a part of Milwaukee. That’s, you know, we’re talking about things that we're going through in our music. And the show went by and nothing went wrong as I kind of knew it would. And I feel like I just proved the whole city wrong as far as like people feel like they can't book Milwaukee talent because it’s too dangerous. I feel like I broke that barrier down and I at least started the process.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
And nobody even realizes that these are microaggressions. They happen every single day, 24 hours a day. From those slight, you know, “All right Speedy Gonzales, don't run too fast.” Like, “What did you just say?” Or looks like I’m the lowest man on the totem pole…
((Corey Fells
Co-Founder, Black Space))
My freshman year, I started to attend a classmate of mine home and I remember one time the mom actually came by during her lunch break, just to see how the house was. And she looked at me, then she told her son, “Hey, I want you to come into the living room. I want to talk to you.” And after that I wasn’t allowed to be able to come into the kid’s house anymore. But he didn’t directly tell me. He just kind of told me that he’s not having lunch anymore at his house. I did not understand that what that really meant until I started seeing kids actually still going to his house. I couldn’t break it to my mom because I knew my mom would have definitely, would have felt sad and felt very angry that I experienced that. So, I kind of kept that to myself.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
And so, I just want to go through some of the things that may be going on within you and you may not even notice. Or you notice them and you're like, “I just thought I was pissed.” Or “I just thought I was sad.” At times I could just be minding my business and all of a sudden, out of the blue, heart beating out of my chest or I start sweating or I feel nervous like something's about to happen or something's going to happen.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Darius Smith))
Black Lives…Matter. Black Lives…Matter.
((Darius Smith
Co-Founder, Black Space))
Before I had my very, very first protest, I didn't know if I was going to make it home, just because of the fact that previous day, it was the right-wing group and they were out in Milwaukee, the place that I was going to protest, with their assault rifles and everything and agitating everything. So, I didn't know how this could end and it took a lot mentally to have to internalize that and materialize that in your mind, like this could be it for you. This literally could be it for you. So actually that protest, people came with their assault rifles and everything and they had a conversation with me. They said, “Hey, man.” You know everybody called me over. “Hey, we really want to talk to you.” And the guy was like, “Yeah, you know, we really want to march with you guys and we got you a gift.” I don’t understand why he would do this but the gift was a bulletproof vest. Why do I need that and you all got the guns? Why do I need that? And I told them, “No, I can't tell y’all what to do.” And I knew if they really wanted to come in solidarity, they would have came and put their guns down. As crazy as it may be, you know, this isn’t the first time. So, what you’re doing is nothing new to me. You just don’t got a badge.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Darius Smith))
We are…
one.
We are…
one.

BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))

BLOCK C


((NATS))
((Courtesy: Darius Smith))
We are…
one.
We are…
one.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
When things have happened in their past, that keep coming up, coming up, coming up. But you’re finding ways to get it out of your head. These are some of the mental health challenges that get in the way of your mental wellness. So, when you go through certain things like this, how do you usually take care of it? Yes.
((Isaiah Joseph
Photographer))
I think what comes to mind is like, we were talking about microaggressions before and I think that I have to explain to my White side of the family like you can’t say this sh**.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
Mmm-hmm.
((Isaiah Joseph
Photographer))
That is not acceptable.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
Being assertive.
((Isaiah Joseph
Photographer))
Yeah. And like for me as a quiet, kind of shy, reserved person, it's extremely difficult. And being a person of color, dating a person of color and having to stick up for them in my white family space, that's a lot. And I'm like, “Honey, I'm sorry.” Like I don't know what to do. I need to have these conversations with those people.
((Darius Smith
Co-Founder, Black Space))
You ain't doing nothing wrong. It's a tricky situation.
((Isaiah Joseph
Photographer))
Yup.
((Darius Smith
Co-Founder, Black Space))
But, you know, I think, you know, just you kind of got to be honest, like, “Eh…
((Darius Smith
Co-Founder, Black Space))
These therapy experiences that we have is, you know, it's everything for me. It means a lot because this is literally my first experience with any forms of therapy. So, as well as I put this together to help other people out, I'm on a boat with them riding for help. I'm not leading it. We’re in this together.
((Eduardo Juarez Sanchez
Freelance Filmmaker))
It's gotten to a point for me that like I, honestly, like just need someone to talk to. I want to be vulnerable in a space where I can feel safe. I can feel protected.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
With the groups, we can kind of tell how each group moves or what each group is kind of thinking or feeling. And it kind of shows us how to facilitate or how to move with the group. If the group is a bit more quieter, okay, then Dr. Knox and Darius are the ones that are a bit more, you know, animated and lively. If the group is a bit more livelier, Corey is kind of the one that's a little mellow and laid back and knows how to kind of redirect a few things.
((Corey Fells
Co-Founder, Black Space))
June 25th is my mom's anniversary of her death. And sometimes it lands on a weekday. But every single year, I just tell the job, “Hey, I'm not going to be able to attend work that day.”
((Corey Fells
Co-Founder, Black Space))
There's a huge thirst and a huge need for this. And with this specifically being for free, these people are experiencing a type of therapy. This group therapeutic experience is something that's needed, not only in Milwaukee but throughout the country.
((Gabriel Cambronero
Firefighter))
I learned that they have a tendency to like devalue like young like Black and Brown people. And it happens on like a regular basis.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
It was something that was always needed. However, what triggered it was what was going on in the climate at the time as far as the marches that Darius was in. People were being more blatant with the disrespect. So instead of just doing it due to COVID, due to the murders that had been happening and there were many more murders that were happening here than were publicized nationally. So, my opinion and our thoughts as Black Space, it's always been needed.
((Jalen Greenlee
CEO, Flora: Entrepreneur))
It just gets uncomfortable when you, you know, switch from that joking, “Ha ha ha,” and then you’re like, “Dang, I'm not feeling. I’m not feeling good up here, fellows.”
((Corey Fells
Co-Founder, Black Space))
My mom would definitely be very happy, very elated that this is something I'm specifying and making sure I’m taking care of my community here in Milwaukee and hopefully also around the country.
((Darius Smith
Co-Founder, Black Space))
As you said, like vulnerability as a man is not actually taught to you, especially as a Black man, because you know it’s some sh** you’re going to have to deal with it in life. All your parents are trying to do is prepare you for that long, tough road that you're going to have to deal with.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Darius Smith
Co-Founder, Black Space))
So, when we was in Taylor County, you know, a lot of the people there at Taylor County spoke to us and one of the biggest people that spoke to us was, it was a Black [police] sergeant there that want us to come back down there to hold Black Space for the Black police officers, the Black and Brown police officers of Taylor County, because they are facing the exact same things that everybody else is facing. The only difference is they're facing it from the people on the street and from the other White officers within their own police department. So, we're hopefully, we can do that and, you know, make a change for those police officers, the Black police officers, because it's crazy, because you know, even if they are a police officer, after they’re police officers, they go home and they’re still Black, so.
((Dr. Lia A. Knox
Co-Founder, Black Space; Licensed Professional Counselor))
I believe that number one, we've had a really, really, really fruitful discussion here. And I just want to know what you guys thought about just our discussion today and how the group was? I just, give me, give me one or two or five words because I want to know. I want to make sure that, I know a lot of you were like, “I'm not sure what I want to get out of this group.” Some of you said this is what specifically I want to get out of this group. But I think that from what we all talked about, a lot of us do share a lot of experiences. A lot of you do have a lot of the same thoughts and have gone through a lot of experiences from the time you were this high, all the way up to yesterday. But what can you tell me, positively or negatively, that you got in being from this group?
((Miles Sigh
Account Executive, iHeartRadio))
I think, seeing how much wisdom there is in the room.
There's so much emphasis on, you know, passing down wisdom from generation to generation. But I think in this session, it was a great example of how beneficial it can be learning from people that are the same age as you. Like wisdom doesn't have to come from people that are 20, 30, 40 years older than you. Lived experiences give wisdom and that can come from someone that's 24, 25 years old as well. And I think that was really, almost really heartwarming to see, honestly.
((Armando Saafir
Live Event & DJ))
It was cool. It was fun. It was cool getting to know everybody. You know, it doesn’t usually happen on this deep of a level the first time you meet somebody, so it was cool.
((Armando Saafir
Live Event & DJ))
I think a lot of people could benefit from therapy or group therapy and just letting out their feelings and just talking about the things that they're holding inside on a deep level rather than small talk and, “Hey, what's up? How are you doing?” You know, just interacting on a deeper level is something that is very underrated. And I think a lot of people can benefit from it.
((Jalen Greenlee
CEO, Flora: Entrepreneur))
Everybody's going through something, so.
((NAT/SOTs))
- I learned today that there's people who also are thriving and striving for their mental health.
- There’s a sense of community.
- Put things in perspective.
- One, it's okay. And two, that you’re enough.
((NATS/MUSIC))

CLOSING BUMPER ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect

BREAK THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))

CLOSING BUMPER ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect

SHOW ENDS