The Space for Sistas™ Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Dominique Pritchett, a licensed therapist, speaker and well-being consultant from Kenosha, Wisconsin and guests. We are a wellness podcast for Black women and teen girls who are ready to dream, decide and do what’s necessary to live well.This week it's Dr. Dominique jammin' solo! __________________________________________________________________________Want to connect with Space for Sistas™?WebsiteInstagramFacebookThe hashta...
The Space for Sistas® Podcast is a weekly-ish chat with Dr. Dominique Pritchett and guests about all things health and wellness leaving you with actionable solutions to step into our most authentic selves.
Welcome to the space versus this
podcast.
We are a wellness podcast for
black women and teen girls who
are ready to dream decide and do
what's necessary to live well.
Today you'll hear from me.
I have no guest scheduled.
I want to share three
life-changing lessons from
Brittney Griner who has spent
inspiring the world.
By being true to herself.
It is coming from my blog that
is recently posted, but I want
to share what I reflected on.
It started off as a journal
entry.
Then a few social posts, then it
turned to a blog article and now
I want to bring it to you on the
podcast.
Brittney Griner quoted when
you're confident you're going to
do things a little differently.
You're not going to be hesitant
to take a shot.
You're not going to be hesitant
to make a certain move.
Brittany.
Yvette Greiner is an American
professional basketball player
for the Phoenix mercury of the
women's national basketball
association, or w MBA
professionally Greiner was
selected as the first overall
pick in 2013 w NBA draft by the
Phoenix mercury with whom she
won the 2014 w NBA championship
and became an eight time all
star.
Standing six feet nine Greiner
led the us national team to
victory at the real Olympics in
2016.
Greiner was named to the
national team for the 2020
Olympics, which was held in 2021
in Tokyo, Japan.
Where she won her second gold
medal.
She is also a two time F I B a
women's world cup winner.
With team USA in 2014 and 2018.
If you have not heard by now,
Brittney Griner has been
released from prison in Russia.
And many around the world are
elated.
Just purely honoring her return.
They have expressed.
Thanks to God.
That she's home and safe.
Wondered about the
prioritization of her emotional
wellness declaring it's about
time.
And no matter who they exchanged
her for it, wasn't going to seem
fair because of her crime.
Ultimately, there are just as
many who are disappointed and
frustrated that she was
exchanged over other prisoners
who have been there perhaps
longer.
They suggest it's not a fair
trade due to geopolitics.
Her mouth got her in trouble.
She shouldn't have broken the
law and more.
One person suggested Greiner
identifying as a lesbian was
enough cost to keep her in
prison.
According to the wall street
journal.
Who offered a timeline of
Greiner's detainment and
release.
She was convicted of smuggling.
0.7 grams of hashish oil into
Russia while on a basketball
trip for a Russian team.
She was sentenced to nine years
in prison and fine.
1 million Please, which is
equivalent to today's$15,996 and
17 cent.
In us dollars.
At the time of her release, she
served 10 months.
Minnie express outrage in
comparison to Audrey Lorber CBS
news reported Lorber who was a
19 year old American convicted
in Russia for attempting to
import 19 grams of marijuana
while on vacation with her
family in 2019.
She was fine.
15,000 rupees, which is
equivalent to 235 us dollars as
of today.
Credited for time served and
released after a two month
detention stay.
Lorber was allowed to travel
independently back to the us.
This is a vital comparison and
speaks to a deeper issue of how
black people are portrayed in
the media.
And the efforts taken to search
for them, even when they go
missing.
And less than 72 hours after
getting released meme started
circulating, showing individuals
with a male light features,
walking around suggested Griner
has become more male license or
incarceration.
Why is this funny?
From my perspective, there is
nothing funny about the memes
and it speaks volumes to about
how these individuals and groups
view Greiner's traumatic
experience.
It is impossible to truly see
support and attempt to keep
black women and girls
psychologically safe.
If you are mocking our painful
experiences.
This can include not speaking up
for us when it's deserved or
even sharing a meme, adding to
society's attempt to make us a
mockery it's low.
It's defining.
For black people joining in the
wave of means it's your truth,
mass buy suggestions that you
care.
Because you are married to a
black woman, you have black
sisters, you have black
daughters, et cetera.
What's been most interesting to
witness is the number of black
women expressing their
disagreement and preference for
Griner to have stayed in Russia.
I'm sure this isn't because they
are trained in negotiations.
Believe the time truly fit the
crime.
Or have an in-depth
understanding of the situation.
This is a reminder that
anti-blackness does.
Doesn't just come from non-black
people.
It's quite concerning when the
direction of this level of
anti-blackness is unfounded and
likely rooted in their own
traumas.
This is called projection, a
defense mechanism.
The FIS mechanisms are
psychological strategies that we
unconsciously use to cope and
protect ourselves from difficult
thoughts, feelings, or events.
Think of projecting as splitting
off, which requires
disassociation or detaching.
Or denial declared that
something is untrue.
Internally a person is playing
out this whole dilemma in their
mind.
This doesn't apply to me.
I'm not like them or it's no big
deal.
Everyone's doing it.
Just like the exchange of
Greiner.
This dilemma turns from it being
about oneself or one's feelings
or the facts to what everyone
else is doing.
And he lacks emotional
intelligence, also known as E Q.
I'm sure you've witnessed this
in many spaces where you don't
feel like you belong or your
wellbeing is threatened.
In short, emotional intelligence
is your ability to identify and
manage your own emotions as well
as identify and adapt to other
people's emotions.
It's essentially about emotional
sensitivity to the world around
us, which is discussed further
in one of my frequent blog
articles, exploring self
advocacy strategies, using
emotional intelligence.
When it comes to eat queue.
Social skills include social
decision-making.
And in the main instance, it was
not present.
Projecting positions us to treat
other people with how we feel
about the quality or
circumstance showing up in
ourselves.
This happens consciously or
unconsciously.
And it's not excusable,
especially once you are made
aware of its impact.
An attempt to have civil
conversation and advocate for
Grindr as well as many other
black women and girls on the
socials.
I was met with language such as
it's just a meme.
I don't do this consistently.
It ain't that serious and more.
While protecting my own peace
and desire for high vibration
conversations that promote
growth.
And healing.
I disengaged.
Through all of this, I'm
reminded of a quote from
Greiner.
Don't worry about what other
people are going to say, because
they're always going to say
something, but.
If you're just true to yourself,
let that shine through.
Greiner we'll have a tremendous
recovery journey as she's been
physically released, but
mentally it will likely take an
unknown amount of time.
Allow her story to serve as a
reminder, to be slow to judge
and project.
Consider these three
life-changing lessons from
Griner.
One played a win.
Greiner quoted I'm a competitor,
you know?
I don't just play.
I played a win and I want to win
it all.
And reality.
I can imagine her time in
prison.
Was hard-fought.
And her release was hard.
One.
With all the judgments and
criticisms many are mentally in
competition with Greiner because
no one saw.
Supported or kept them safe
perhaps at many points of their
lives.
Also let's be clear.
She didn't co-sign to the rules
of your judgmental and critical
game.
Number two.
Figure out where I fit.
Greiner quoted.
It's taken me a long time to
figure out exactly where I fit.
During that journey.
I realized that everyone has a
unique place in this world.
As we listen, read and watch the
aftermath of grinders release.
You have a choice in what comes
out of your mouth or the click
of a button?
Truthfully.
No one wants to hear your Google
intellect and attempts to
convince others that you are not
anti-black or LGBTQ.
A plus or believe in fairness.
Number three.
We can all learn from one
another.
Greiner quoted.
I think that's what makes life
beautiful.
Everyone is different and we can
all learn from each other.
In order to learn from one
another, we are tasked with
having civil conversations and
interactions, to evolve as a
culture where people can feel
like they belong and their
wellbeing is considered.
Sure.
This seems like a wish or dream,
but it takes action to make
wishes and dreams come true for
the greater good.
I am honoring Brittany Greiner's
release and anticipated healing
after a traumatic experience.
If you or someone, you know,
needs mental health support,
please dial 9, 8, 8.
Which is the national crisis
line they're available 24 7 365.
Or reach out to a local mental
health professional.
Thank you so much for listening,
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