What can I say that hasn’t already been said about what is happening in our country at this time? And let’s be honest, it isn’t just happening “at this time.” I’m no history expert but I’m pretty sure this kind of racism and oppression has been happening since European settlers “discovered” what we now call the United States.
I spent the last few weeks consuming as much information as possible about George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Dion Johnson, Ahmaud Arbery, David McAtee, and the protests across the country. I have also spent the last few weeks sharing as much information as possible on my personal and public social media accounts in order to educate others on racism and the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement. Unfortunately, this has also come with the exhaustion of engaging in conversations with people who are unwilling to admit to their biased beliefs.
Honestly, I feel really intolerant of their racial intolerance.
So no, I am not doing the good therapist* thing by approaching them with curiosity and asking questions to better understand their beliefs. This is an instance where wrong is wrong and there isn’t a grey area to the matter. I wonder, what is the magic word that people need to hear to unlock their minds – to open them up to the possibility that their reality is in fact laced with privilege and white supremacy? What do people need to hear to be able to look beyond themselves and understand how the system has been rigged against BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) from day one?
Maybe what’s been missing from the conversation is an explanation of the effects of systemic oppression and racial discrimination — racial trauma.
Per Wikipedia, “Racial trauma or race-based traumatic stress, is the cumulative effects of racism on an individual’s mental and physical health. It has been linked to feelings of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideations, as well as other physical health issues.”
The symptoms experienced from racial trauma are similar to those of posttraumatic stress disorder. Racial trauma happens when you have a single or repeated experience of racial discrimination, threats of harm, humiliation, shaming, microinvalidations, microaggressions, etc. These experiences of racial profiling, prejudice, and discrimination might occur in the workplace, school, healthcare system, community, etc. Now, these are just the firsthand experiences. You might also find yourself affected by witnessing harm to others because of their race, the things posted on social media, and keeping up with the news just to name a few.
Imagine living with the constant fear, worry, or reminder that you should be fearful or worried? These experiences are physically taxing, as your body begins to live in a state of constant stress. According to the American Psychological Association, stress affects your body as a whole — musculoskeletal system, respiratory system, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous system, and reproductive system.
And people cause this kind of harm to others for what — to feel better about themselves by keeping someone else down?
I want to encourage you to reflect on your own biases and outmoded beliefs. If you are uncertain of where to find information to better educate yourself, feel free to email me and ask. I am more than happy to provide you with the necessary information.
Lastly, if you are looking to give back, I encourage to donate to one of the following organizations that are designed to provide mental health support to the African American community:
- The Loveland Foundation — established by Rachel Cargle, it provides financial assistance for Black women and girls to receive therapy services.
- Black Mental Health Alliance — provides training, consultation, support groups, resource referral, public information, and educational resources regarding mental health and mental illness issues.
- The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation — advocate for and provide resources to increase mental health services in urban schools across the country, as well as provide support and bring awareness to mental health issues that plague the African American community.
I hope I get to see the beauty of racial equality in my lifetime.
*Referring to conversations outside of therapy sessions, ie in my personal life. I am always a good therapist in session, in case you were left wondering 🙂
