New Kensington's 'Lost Dreams Awakening' part of national Black History Month event

A New Kensington substance use recovery organization is participating in a national virtual block party Monday celebrating Black History Month.

The free event from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Lost Dreams Awakening will include food, music and dance, said Laurie Johnson-Wade, a co-founding director of the organization that specializes in removing barriers to treatment, prevention and recovery.

“It’s all about our expressive and creative culture,” she said. “We’re very creative people. We’re into the arts. So we’re going to use that to showcase beautiful Black people.”

The virtual element will include recognizing Black pioneers in recovery from all over the country including Johnson-Wade, who started Lost Dreams Awakening with her husband, VonZell Wade, in 2014.

“It’s the closest thing to being together that you can get,” she said. “This is the first time we’ve done anything like this. We’re excited.”

Johnson-Wade said she’s been asked if white people can come.

“Why wouldn’t you? Of course you can come,” she said. “This is a celebration of Black history, which is as much of American history as anything. Yes, you can come. We want you; we need you.”

Lost Dreams Awakening is the only organization in the Pittsburgh area participating. It is among 20 sites in 15 states taking part in the event organized by the nonprofit Black Faces Black Voices, founded by Phil Rutherford, of Minnesota, in 2020.

Rutherford has been in recovery from substance use disorder for about 20 years.

“I carry the message and not the mess,” he said. “I talk about my recovery rather than my addiction.”

Rutherford said Black Faces Black Voices is focused on driving resources into the Black community that promote recovery, wellness and equity. It has more than 40 members representing a number of organizations across the country.

“There has not been a lot of attention paid to the Black experience in recovery, which is different. It’s not the same,” Rutherford said. “We are unapologetically focused on centering that experience and trying to help people navigate the various pathways there are to recovery while experiencing life as a Black person.”

While overdose deaths in other populations have flattened or gone down over the past two years, Rutherford said they have increased in the Black community. While drug use is about the same between communities, when addicts are portrayed as white instead of Black, the attitude, funding and attention to the problem changes, he said.

“In addition to the stigma of being Black in America, we face additional stigma around substance use,” he said.

Johnson-Wade said research has found nearly 92% of Black people who need treatment for substance use disorder do not get any treatment.

“Instead, it continues to be criminalized or remaining invisible to health care providers. We’re invisible to them,” she said. “We are trying to bring some attention to this issue of humanity, really. It’s beyond color. What kind of civilized nation lets a whole group of people go without getting care?”

In addition to holding an event every February for Black History Month, Rutherford said Monday’s event marks the start of a series of webinars on a variety of subjects.

“Our plan is to keep this up at least on a quarterly basis, but hopefully, on a monthly basis,” he said. “We’re looking to normalize discussion around things that are focused or centered in the Black community.”