Celebrating Black History Month with Kirnetta

Speech & Language Pathology

1. Aside from representation, what’s another reason it’s important that the field of speech language pathology have practicing Black speech language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists (AuDs)? 

Kirnetta: As speech-language pathologists, we serve very diverse populations: from neonatal to geriatric, individuals with congenital as well as acquired disorders, and clients from various lingual and cultural backgrounds. In a field where less than 4% of professionals (SLPs specifically)  are Black, yet soooo much more of the populations we serve are, having culturally competent Black speech-language pathologists is imperative to build needed rapport with clients and families, improve the quality of service, and eliminate disparities based on racial, ethnic, and cultural differences.

2. What do you desire this field had more of? Less of? 

Kirnetta: I attended The Hampton University for grad school :), and they did an ABSOLUTELY  AMAZING job of stressing the importance of being a culturally competent speech-language pathologist. It literally came up in every course. As a matter of fact, we had an entire class on cultural competence. So, I was shook when I entered the field and found out that clients were being labeled as having communication disorders, specifically language disorders, without any consideration of cultural or linguistic influences that may impact the client’s speech.

I cannot tell you how many *IEPs (Individualized Education Plans - a legal document that allows students to receive special education services in public school settings based on the identification of a disability) I’ve read that said “So and So will produce grammatically correct sentences” for Black and Hispanic students. That is not a disorder.

So in short, I’d like to see more of clinicians considering all aspects and influences of the clients’ speech and language development, and less of relying on standardized testing and taking shortcuts during evaluations. 

3. Talk about a time when you were treated in a subordinate manner because of your race. 

Kirnetta: Well, during my first graduate externship, I had a supervisor that blatantly told me that she did not like to receive graduate clinicians from my *HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), and preferred students from another nearby *PWI (Predominantly White Institutions). When we first met, I extended my hand for a handshake (mind you, this was pre-Covid). Firstly, I never liked shaking hands in the first place, but was always taught that in a professional setting, you’re supposed to shake the person’s hand when you introduce yourself. She shook my hand. Then, she wiped her hand on her pants. It was downhill from there.

She complimented me the entire time during the externship just to send a subpar (FAILING) semester evaluation to my school without ever reviewing it with me. Luckily, the faculty of my department knew me well, and knew that nothing she wrote sounded like me as a clinician. She also had a pattern of doing this to Black students. They finally took her off of the list of clinical supervisors. 

4a. Share an example of how you know that you are making a difference in your client’s lives. 

Kirnetta: Measurable progress! The proof is in the pudding.

4b. Share the most rewarding facet of what you do. 

Kirnetta: I love being able to say, “A few months ago, we were working so hard towards this goal. Now, it’s mastered!” Seeing them [clients] take pride in their progress and noticing their own progress always puts a smile on my face.

5. If I wasn’t practicing speech pathology I would be… 

Kirnetta: I’ll be honest here. If I wasn’t practicing speech pathology, I’d either want to be a rich wife LOL or something related to criminal justice reform.

6. #TheseAreMyConfessions: the term “proper English” 

Kirnetta: There is no such thing as “proper English.” There is Standard American English (SAE), then there are variations and dialectal differences of SAE which are influenced by a person’s culture, linguistic background, the region of the U.S. in which they live, and their most frequent communication partners. In actuality, very few people speak Standard American English. Being able to code switch is a real skill to have. Truthfully, sometimes, I just don’t feel like codeswitching.

7. How do you intend to increase knowledge about the field of speech language pathology, especially for Black individuals? 

Kirnetta: I usually jump at leadership opportunities that promote exposure to the field, particularly for Black individuals. As an undergraduate student, I served as vice president then president of my school’s affiliate chapter of the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH). During graduate school, I served as the student representative for the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia. I also participated in the Minority Student Leadership Program for the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

Currently, I am working to partner with the Richmond Health District to provide free of charge speech/language and hearing screenings as well as consultations to children in low-income neighborhoods around my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. I think that it is not only very important to recruit Black individuals to join the field, but also let people know that these services exist, and I can point you into the right directions of how to receive the help you need. 

8. Where do you hope your career will take you in five years? 

Kirnetta: I recently started a PLLC named Expression Session Therapy Services, LLC. It was never my plan to start a private practice, especially this early in my career, but the way things have been effortlessly lining up for this brand new business, I think that may be the plan God has for me. We’ll see :)

9. Tell us how you celebrate Black History Month.

Kirnetta: I celebrate by absorbing as much knowledge on Black history and the contributions of Black people as I can from books, movies, the radio etc. Then I share those facts with people around me, including my clients. I incorporate Black history that I think my clients would be interested in (individualizing the content to their specific interests) into our sessions. I’ve done sessions on famous Black athletes, Black hairstyles, soul food, music, and more, and was able to target therapy goals while providing learning opportunities.

Kirnetta is a Virginia native, born and raised in Richmond, VA. She graduated from Old Dominion University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and from Hampton University in 2019 with a Master’s in Communicative Sciences and Disorders.

She currently works as a pediatric speech-language pathologist in the public school and private outpatient settings, and is the owner of Expression Session Therapy Services, LLC.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, trying new foods (cooking and eating), reading mystery books, and practicing self-care.

Instagram: @nettasays_