30/10/2024
I SPOKE with my whole heart, soul, and being at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the shadow of the White House at the Nationsās Capitalā¦
ME, Patrece, just a lil ole black girl from da eastside of Detroit, who grew up in abject poverty, on da welfare and was on it again and again when life beat my ass and made me say uncleā¦
ME, Big P, Sweet P sat on a panel in front of the nations leaders celebrating the 40th Anniversary of FVSPA Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. I had the great honor to close out the presentation by leading the audience through a breathing exercise. I brought health and wellness and black and brown girls BREATHING to the nations capital!!!
W H E W
It was a full circle moment that left me in tears the rest of the afternoon, and still as I type this now thinking about my mama, her struggles, my struggles, THE mfin STRUGGLE of all women who put dey babies on dey whole back and SURVIVE and get dey babies to the next leg of the journey to THRIVEā¦
my earliest traumatic memory is walking with My Mama at 5 years old to the welfare office which we now call DHHS. On the way she had a panic attack and little did I know was suffering from walking pneumonia but as yāall know, she had to get there and take me with her, and had no choice put to walk and pray she made it to get what little resources they was giving her/us. I asked her about it today and she said, I couldnāt leave you with Pat (my father and namesake) because if he knew I was going to the welfare office and getting food stamps he would have tore up the house looking for them to sell for drugsā¦
W H E W againā¦
On THAT DAY, I held my Mamaās hand not really knowing the full measure of her struggle then, I do remember encouraging her like come on Mama, while I am sure holding my own breathe while my mama stood slumped on the overpass gripping the gate trying to catch her BREATHEā¦
Today I am the counselor/therapist and advocate we needed and have the great honor to go to the nationās capital to talk about my work as a wellness partner, community counselor, survivor advocate of DV, SA, and one of the currently systemically oppressed and strategically undervaluedā¦ I am HONORED to talk and advocate for women, children, and families to be safe and live in a future without violence. This week in the nationās capital as always I mentioned My Mama and shared a little of our story the one who taught me the need and even the how and why of advocacy!!!
I am teaching national leaders to center health and wellness in their advocacy work with victims and survivors and support families, and most importantly to BREATHE!!! even while taking my own sometimes shaky breathesā¦
