Meet Roicia Banks of Social Roots, LLC in South Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Roicia Banks.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am an Arizona girl born and raised! I was also a child who was born a ward of the state. I was in the foster care system until the age of eight; another reason why I am passionate about what I do. I was adopted by a single mother of three who did her best! I spent most of my life living in Winslow, Arizona, and the Hopi Reservation. I graduated high school with honors in 2007 from Winslow High. I am an Arizona State Alum, GO SUN DEVILS! In 2011, I earned a double Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and African & African American Studies and studied abroad in Accra, Ghana at the University of Ghana. Arizona is my home, but Texas will always have my heart! In 2013, I earned a Masters of Social Work from the accredited School of Social Work at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas.

I am a product of my ancestors and I am a product of my environment. I was guided, molded, nurtured and always held accountable by my community. I spent most of my younger years in a small village on the Hopi Reservation; so the concept of, “It takes a village” rings very true to me. As a little girl, it was common to have neighbors, relatives and sometimes strangers who are helping in your home and village. We delivered food in times of need, assisted the elderly in your average day to day chores, delivered wood and coal to our relatives in the winter and ensured everyone’s bellies were always full. As an adult who is now living in an urban community, I realize we have strayed away from this concept of “community” and it’s saddening.

As a woman of Native American and African American decent, I found love in social work by aiding my people, providing resources, giving them my time, helping them grow and process the historical and generational trauma. We all have the ability to achieve “greatness” and reach our fullest potential. I also recognize my own privileges. I did not achieve “greatness” on my own. I consistently needed multiple accounts of individual and financial support and constant guidance. As a Master Social Worker, I have career experiences working in both state and tribal government. I felt I could no longer fit into a box, sit back and watch children and families suffer because of “policy.” I felt it was my responsibility to ensure they had an advocate in their corner, a voice that is heard and resources to share. I wanted to form a business with a sense of community centered around cultural competency, inclusivity, diversity, strengths-based, and trauma-informed practice. From this love Social Roots, LLC was created.

Has it been a smooth road?
My life has never been smooth sailing. But as I know, God equipped me with all of the characteristics I would need in order to persevere and be successful. Some challenges included being raised in the foster care system. I was abused as a child for reasons I still do not understand but have been able to process through. Having been bounced around I really did not have a sense of “home” or accurate identity. The troubles I felt with inclusivity as a child tore at my self-worth. Even when I had been adopted at age eight, I still did not feel complete. I was a Black and Native little girl adopted into a family of full-blooded Native American people. Prejudice from my family and community was something I experienced on a daily basis. If my hair was too curly that day or if my skin was too dark that summer, I’d know about it. I was no different than any other “oppositionally defiant ” kid.  I usually preferred to do exactly the opposite of what I was told. I found myself on punishment and restricted from activities a lot. As a teenager, the police officers in our community who knew me and my mother often referred to her as my probation officer. As I grew into a young adult, those accounts of overt prejudices seemed minor compared to the gender bias and racial oppression I would soon experience in my adult life. In addition, all of the “harsh” parenting my mother had placed on me came nicely into perspective as well.

During all of this internal confusion, I always knew I was a great student. So, I practiced being great in everything academic. I managed to graduate at the top 10% of our class and earned a full scholarship to Arizona State University. This was a great accomplishment, however, the responsibility of being a first-generation college student carried so much weight with little to no guidance. I was the first in my adopted and biological family to attend a university. What did this mean for me and my family? It meant for the first time ever, I failed. A lot. Although I was a great student, I was no match against my private school, 3rd-generation college graduates or privately tutored white counterparts. I was also juggling three part-time jobs to live and taking full-time coursework at ASU. Like most minority students in their second year, I was put on academic probation and was faced with the ultimate decision of dropping out. My best friend’s parents saw it worthwhile to invest in me. They provided emotional, physical and financial support in efforts to keep me in college and see me graduate. A few weeks prior to graduation, my adopted mother suffered minor heart failure and had to undergo surgery for a pacemaker. This left her bedridden and she could not attend any of my undergraduate graduations. Everything I ever persevered through was for my mother and ultimately lead up to that moment of accomplishment. It crushed me that she could not be there. Actually, none of my family was present. Not one single family member. My best friend’s parent’s, now known affectionately as my Godparents, attended my graduations in lieu of her absence. I graduated “on time” with a double bachelors and acceptance into my Master’s program at the University of Houston, Houston Texas.

After graduation, I moved to Houston to pursue my Masters in Social Work. During my first semester in October of 2011, my mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Again, I was faced with the decision of dropping out of school in order to properly care for my mother through her treatment. My selfless, resilient mother refused to even entertain the idea. Our community stepped up to support my mother through her treatment plan which allowed me to continue school. Again, I was juggling an internship, full-time coursework, and three jobs to support myself and to support my mother’s home. I was constantly sending money back home to my mother to help in whatever capacity I could. That is the burden we bare as “first-generation” graduates, our families are always looking to us for support while simultaneously pressing us to succeed. In May of 2013, my mother, brother and nephew drove 1200 miles at 55 mph from Winslow to Houston to finally see me graduate. After the ceremony, with my degree in one hand and my mother’s hand in the other, she stood overwhelmed in front of me. As a cultural sign of respect, she did not look me in the eye. My mother, who I have only seen cry three times in my life, wept before me. She began speaking to me in Hopi as she did when she had something important to say. Through her tears, she explained how much I put her through, how much I have endured and how proud she was of me. Nothing I do in this life will ever be more important to me than that moment.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Social Roots, LLC – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Prior to launching Social Roots, I was known for community advocacy with children in Foster Care, African Americans, and Native Americans movements. Volunteering and establishing a network in the community first, definitely helped propel Social Roots. Those relationships helped me to be able to partner with organizations both for-profit and non-profit. I have done everything from community organizing, registering people of color to vote for the November 2018 cycle to direct practice with expecting mothers pursuing adoption plans. I believe my personal experiences and my education sets me apart from others. Not only have I studied these systemic and historical issues, but I have also personally overcome them. I literally have the personal experience(s) and the degrees to back it up. I am proud of Social Roots because it embodies everything I am. I can speak truth to power knowing where I came from, where I am now and exactly how I got here.

Is there anyone, in particular, you would like to recognize? Mentors, etc?
There are pivotal points in my life where I can see each person of influence and their impact on my life. In the 12th grade, I had a math teacher sit me down and tell me I am going to college. Before that moment, college was never a thought or conversation in our home. She worked with me every day on my applications and scholarships, because of the time she invested in me- I went to college! While I was in college, my scholarship provided me a mentor and required I check in with him on a weekly basis. Each one of those meetings I spent crying in his office telling him how hard college was and how I was unsure if college was for me. I cried because I was finally experiencing failure. He always assured me that failure will lead to success. I cried because I missed my family, my culture, friends, funerals, and births. I felt so emotionally and physically alone in the city. He allowed me to grow in that safe space. Ten years later, I find myself still crying to him about mistakes I have made or seeking his approval with dreams I want to see come to fruition; he’s the best and now we are more like family. Lastly, my best friend and her God-sent, parents! I love them unconditionally and I owe them so much. Truly, there are no words I will ever have for them… only GOD knows!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.socialrootsllc.org
• Phone: 4804590790
• Email: socialroots89@gmail.com
• Instagram: socialrootsllc
• Facebook: Social Roots, LLC

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