This presidential election has many in our communities feeling confused, anxious, uncertain and afraid. These feelings are the product of direct efforts to spread misinformation, an increase in racist violence, ever more brazen efforts at voter suppression, an uneven public health response to COVID-19 as well as insufficient public funding to provide relief to families. In light of this environment of fear and anxiety, designed to make already vulnerable communities feel helpless, Sapelo Square has partnered with Muslim Wellness Foundation to create an Election Wellness Toolkit for American Muslims. The goal is to provide our community members with the tools that can help them prepare, across multiple spheres of wellness, for the days, weeks and months to come during this challenging election season.
The toolkit is not about supporting particular candidates nor is it a specific Get Out The Vote effort, but it names the concerns that our communities have from voting to personal safety and then offers practical guidance to address those concerns as we navigate this unprecedented moment. The toolkit takes a holistic approach to wellness and covers seven wellness domains. The discussion of each wellness area will provide an overview of the issues (ex. voter suppression ), a clear articulation of the community concern (ex. how do I vote safely), a series of suggestions to address that concern (ex. have a voting plan) and a reflection question to guide you in building your own strategy around the issue. Each wellness area discussion also provides links for more information.