Sarah Matuszak is the creator of a project called the BLAC Initiative, a program that focuses on teaching valuable life saving techniques in black communities. She also says it fits in with the concept of defunding the police, where communities equip themselves with resources to have autonomy, empowerment, and support.
Can you tell us more about your background?
I am a 26-year-old Milwaukee native, mother, EMT, firefighter and emergency response instructor. For the last seven years, I have worked various jobs in the realms of emergency medical services and fire services before making a recent transition into public health.
What is the BLAC Initiative?
BLAC is an acronym: Black Life Autonomy [through] CPR, and it’s a way to support the Black community by providing free American Heart Association credentialed training sessions of First Aid and CPR. The work is driven by a reallocation of funds from generous supporters who believe in a future where Black people have autonomy and support.
Why is a program like this important?
The work is important because it empowers. First Aid and CPR training give people the tools to appropriately care for injuries, sickness, and even save lives. Bringing this training to the Black community is a way to empower from within. Community members can learn and train together, and then feel ready to confidently use their new skills if necessary.
First aid knowledge is always useful—unfortunately, accidents and injuries happen all the time. Knowing how to respond if someone is bleeding, choking, or unconscious is vital. Having a baseline set of these skills can embolden people to act when they see a love one, or even a stranger who is experiencing a medical problem.
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What are your thoughts on defunding the police. Do you see programs like this as part of that idea?
I absolutely believe that programming like the BLAC Initiative belongs in discussions of defunding the police. To me, the thought of defunding the police is a call to reallocate resources to various interdisciplinary teams within the community so that the people most appropriate for specific jobs are able to respond to said issues.
A second aspect of defunding police is replacing police presence within our communities with solid community care. This requires members of the community to step up and assist where they can. We must offer our skillsets and knowledge to one another so that we can continue to build stronger neighborhoods and a stronger city.
To learn more you can find the BLAC Initiative on Facebook and Instagram (both @blackiniative) or e-mail blacinitiative@yahoo.com. To support them, visit their Patreon page.
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