Dear Students,
This page provides local and national resources to support your mental health, help keep you safe, and give you some background knowledge in order to better understand and navigate New York City’s (NYC) current racial climate.
Increased racial tensions and hate crimes during the pandemic, both globally and here in the US, have been troubling. Learning more about the context of race in the United States and NYC can help you understand and cope better with your surroundings, whether you just moved here or have lived here for several years.
While incidents of violence are rare, verbal harassment is more common. You might also come across public or private behavior that seems inappropriate or even frightening. However, your increased awareness of reported and publicized issues may help to safeguard you!
It’s been a difficult couple of years, but living in a city as large as NYC means that people of different backgrounds and beliefs live and work together. We also support each other. So please, if you or someone you know needs some help, don’t be afraid to send them a link to this page, or reach out directly to TfCS or the Baruch Counseling Center.
Please scroll down (or use the navigation menu to the left) to explore the resources below, but don’t just look – click around, watch, listen, and learn. The TfCS team will continue to add resources and updates, but if you have suggestions, please feel free to send them our way (tfcs@baruch.cuny.edu).
Though there is much work to be done, we hope that you will help us advocate for real inclusion and social justice to the Baruch community and beyond. We’re with you in this fight. Let us know how we can help.
In solidarity,
The Tools for Clear Speech team
Spotlight: February is Black History Month!
Baruch has a dedicated Black History Month Committee with an Instagram full of info and events:
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Learn even more about Black history through the lens of language:
- Watch trilingual orator Jamila Lyiscott’s powerful monologue “3 Ways to Speak English.”
- Check out “Talking Black in America,” a documentary from the Language & Life Project that “follows the unique circumstances of the descendants of American slaves and their incredible impact on American life and language.”
- Watch BET Network cover the history and living legacy of Black English (also called African American Vernacular English) in the U.S.:
- Read about the many people and languages of the African diaspora on Loyola University’s compilation, “Black History Has Many Tongues: Black History around the World.”
Conversation Starters
Local NYC & Baruch Resources
- Crisis Text Support
If you are a student in crisis or distress, you can text “CUNY” to 741741 for immediate free, 24/7 support from a trained counselor. - Baruch’s Counseling Center
Services are free and confidential to Baruch undergraduate and graduate students. In addition to English, counseling is offered in Mandarin, Shanghainese, Spanish, Arabic, and Korean. - The Counseling Center has shared a statement and offered resources to support those impacted by ongoing racial injustice and trauma.
- Baruch offers its students free access to Togetherall, a safe, anonymous, online peer community to support students’ mental health, including tools, articles, courses and support groups.
- Food Access Resources
If you’re experiencing food insecurity, this page contains several resources for current Baruch students. - SafeWalks
SafeWalks connects volunteers with city residents who feel unsafe walking to and from the subway. You can request a safewalk or volunteer on their website. - Protect Chinatown
Protect Chinatown was created to fight against Anti-Asian violence. You can volunteer to be a chaperone or request a chaperone for yourself or someone else on their website. - Just to Be Clear
Tools for Clear Speech’s program podcast, Just to Be Clear, aims to educate a wide audience on issues of language, accent, and identity, as well as share stories from Baruch’s non-native English-speaking students.
National Resources
- Asian Mental Health Collective
This website contains valuable resources to support the mental health of Asian communities. - Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM)
BEAM offers a wide range of toolkits, trainings, and other support resources to protect the emotional and mental health of Black communities. - Bystander Intervention Training
Sign up for a free, one-hour training on bystander intervention from Hollaback! so that you feel more confident intervening when you see Anti-Asian harassment online or in person. - Working Definition of Allyship Handout
This resource from the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence provides a comprehensive overview of the notion of “allyship:” what it is, and what it isn’t. - Understanding Racial Stress & Trauma
This Instagram post provides an excellent summary of race-based stressors and racial trauma, as well as a list of resources for finding a therapist of color. From @soyouwanttotalkabout, with contributions from @dr_jlauren and @drftsaleem - Resources for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month
Learn more about the history of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the United States, and discover organizations that uplift and amplify AAPI voices and stories.
- Educate yourself about health issues unique to American Indian and Alaska Native communities:
“American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) from hundreds of tribes have shaped our national life. During Native American Heritage Month, we honor their vibrant cultures. Learn more about some of the health issues that affect this population and some efforts to address these health issues.” - Check out these AAPI stories from multiple art collections celebrating the AAPI heritage
- Read about the stories of generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success
Videos & Media
- Watch Eugene Lee Yang’s video, “We Need to Talk about Anti-Asian Hate”
- Watch Wong Fu Productions’ video, “Message from our Asian Creator Community”
- Watch the United Nations’ video, “Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times”
- Listen to Storycorps Historias:
“Launched in 2009, StoryCorps Historias is an initiative to record the diverse stories and life experiences of Latina/Latino people in the United States. Sharing these stories celebrates our history, honors our heritage, and captures the true spirit of our community. It will also ensure that the voices of Latina/Latino people will be preserved and remembered for generations to come. Historias recordings are archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and in a special collection at The Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas at Austin.” - Check out Artist Anne Castro’s work
- Read stories on OurExperience.net.
“Personal stories from the Asian American Pacific Islander community to offer perspective, solidarity, and healing.” - Educate yourself on the VirulentHate website. This project reports on trends in anti-Asian racism and violence, as well as Asian-American activism.
- Read Poems on Poets.Org:
“In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15—and the rich tradition of poetry from Latinx poets year-round—browse this selection of poems, essays, and multimedia features.” - Listen to the March 24 episode of NPR’s Code Switch podcast
Asian American organizers and influencers have been trying to sound the alarm over a dramatic spike in reports of anti-Asian racism over the last year, and have been frustrated by the lack of media and public attention paid to their worries. Then came last week, when a deadly shooting spree in Georgia realized many of their worst fears and thrust the issue into the national spotlight.”
- Read about the business community and Hispanic Heritage Month:
“With the growth of the Hispanic population in the U.S. and its increasing importance as a business driver, HHM became a staple in marketing calendars. However, among industry experts, there’s a perception that marketers haven’t updated their HHM approaches to adapt to the evolution of the Hispanic segment.”
What TfCS Is Doing
- Just to Be Clear
Tools for Clear Speech’s program podcast, Just to Be Clear, aims to educate a wide audience on issues of language, accent, and identity, as well as share stories from Baruch’s non-native English-speaking students. - Accentedness and the Ethics of Listening
This TfCS workshop showcases research-based insights that demonstrate how challenging underlying biases about non-native accents can enhance comprehension, encourage empathy, foster meaningful intercultural communication, and ultimately build a more ethical and inclusive academic community.
What You Can Do
- Take care of yourself. Baruch’s Counseling Center has guides on Coping with Trauma and Self-Care Techniques.
- Bystander Intervention Training
Sign up for a free, one-hour training on bystander intervention from Hollaback! so that you feel more confident intervening when you see Anti-Asian harassment online or in person. - Especially if you are white, read and act on activist Jeff Olivet’s article “Dear White People: Use Your Words. Use Your Actions. Use Your Power” and Jennifer Liu’s article, “How to support Asian American colleagues amid the recent wave of anti-Asian violence.”
- SafeWalks
SafeWalks connects volunteers with city residents who feel unsafe walking to and from the subway. You can request a safewalk or volunteer on their website. - Protect Chinatown
Protect Chinatown was created to fight against Anti-Asian violence. You can volunteer to be a chaperone or request a chaperone for yourself or someone else on their website. - Educate yourself on the VirulentHate website. This project reports on trends in anti-Asian racism and violence, as well as Asian-American activism.
- Working Definition of Allyship Handout
This resource from the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence provides a comprehensive overview of the notion of “allyship:” what it is, and what it isn’t.