Racial trauma is the cumulative traumatic effect of repeated experiences of racism and discrimination, including exposure to media coverage of acts of racism and race-based violence. Any one of these experiences can trigger reactions of fear and anxiety or feelings of exclusion or rejection.
Alone, they are hurtful and can cause the body and mind to shift into a hyperalert, discouraged, and downhearted state. Together, over time, they can build up into an enduring and damaging form of trauma. Each new event can trigger memories of past experiences, bring up painful emotions and reinforce negative thought patterns.
These hidden wounds that Black, Latinx, Indigenous and other minority people experience from repeated exposure to racism and discrimination are worn like weights. They can drag us down emotionally and impact our physical health. And each new cut can add to the pain.
What can cause racial trauma?
The experience of racism and discrimination in our culture is pervasive, and racial trauma can be its toxic effect. Experiences that can combine to cause racial trauma include the following:
Day-to-day microaggressions
Statements like “What are you?” to a person with brown skin or “What country are you from?” to a person who was born in this country may go unnoticed by a White person making the unthinking comment, but they can be deeply hurtful to the person on the receiving end.
The almost unconscious glances and body movements showing fear or wariness when a Black person walks by are also microaggressions. If these incidents were rare, they might be no big deal. But they aren’t rare, and they are experienced in the context of a culture with deeply embedded structures of racism that continue to favor White over Black and brown people.
The emotional strain of acculturation
Sometimes, the behavior Black and brown people adopt to succeed in a predominately White workplace or to fit into a predominately White community can involve hiding their true selves.
They may find themselves acting cautiously, concealing their emotions and controlling their reactions to racist comments. This can be an emotional strain that contributes to racial trauma.
Indirect experiences of racism
Media coverage of acts of violence against Black, Latinx, Indigenous or other minority individuals can be especially painful to people who have had related experiences of racism and discrimination and can identify strongly with the person who has been injured or killed.
Witnessing an act of police brutality against a Black man or woman can trigger powerful, visceral emotions in other Black people. Their minds flash back to other, similar incidents where ordinary Black people have died at the hands of police or White citizens and to experiences in their own lives where they have felt threatened and afraid, made to feel unwelcome or dismissed as less than fully human.
An empathic response to an indirect experience is called vicarious trauma. Observers may feel as if they had been directly involved.
What are the effects of racial trauma?
The combined effect of all of these types of experienced racism and discrimination can build toxic levels of stress. The body produces a constant stream of stress hormones to maintain a hypervigilant state in reaction to past and anticipated threats. Our minds remain on high alert as if we are in constant danger. And, in a sense, we are. Racism is real, and it’s all around us.
Those feelings of stress and fear are exacerbated by a society that refuses to accept the realities of racism. Too often, our objections to microaggressions and acts of discrimination are met with defensiveness and denial or even with rage. The problem is in us, we’re told. We’re too sensitive. Or there’s another rational reason for what has happened that has nothing to do with race. So not only do we feel the pain of the experience, but those feelings are also often invalidated, which only makes us feel worse–more isolated, less confident, sadder or angrier.
Racial trauma is similar in some ways to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in its effects on the body and mind. But unlike PTSD, the causes of racial trauma are ongoing. There is no “post” to the trauma. It does not end, at least not in our current society, with its deeply rooted systems of racial bias and segregation. So, any healing or protection from the trauma must happen while the injuries continue. Not everyone experiences racial trauma in response to these emotional injuries, of course.
Some people even gain strength from them. They have resilience grounded in emotional self-control, strong social connections and deep pride in who they are.
Among those who experience racial trauma, the effects may include:
Physical and behavioral symptoms
Sleep problems
Increased alcohol or drug use
Avoidance of new situations and taking risks
Increased risk of depression and anxiety
A diminished sense of safety, trust, self-esteem and control
Negativism
A heightened sense of vigilance and suspicion
Skewed frames of reference
Distrust of people outside one’s family or social network
Intrusive thoughts
Wariness of institutions and organizations (government, social services, police, corporations)
Sensitivity to threat and risk avoidance
Shaken confidence in basic beliefs
Greater sensitivity to experiences of disrespect or shaming
Distortions in perception and memory
Psychological and physiological symptoms
Chronic stress
A weakened immune system
A shift in brain activity to the limbic system dominance (emotional and impulsive thinking)
Distortions in worldview, spirituality or sense of identity
Increased doubt and distrust
Unfounded beliefs
Loss of hope and meaning
Existential despair
Exhaustion, anger, irritability or resentment
Behavior problems at school or work
How to heal the wounds of racial trauma
When culture functions well, it buffers members from at least some of the disruptive impacts and consequences of collective trauma. Racial trauma is largely an effect of cultural dysfunction–of entire groups of people being treated unfairly and having their experiences invalidated by the dominant culture. True healing requires the correction of these cultural injustices, but individuals can take steps toward healing while living in our imperfect world:
Restore pride in who you are. Learn about the positive aspects of your culture and heritage. Immerse yourself in movies, books, music and art that demonstrate and reinforce those positive views. Seek out people who recognize your true strengths and value you for who you are.
Learn about your cultural history and the work to make a better future. Oppression and injustice have caused generations of pain and hardship, but they have also fostered resilience and an enduring struggle for change. Learn about that history and the courageous actions and enlightened ideas of those who have led and continue to lead the struggle for justice and respect.
Connect with others. Social support is among the most effective emotional medicines. Build your social network. Find people you can talk with. Having a core group of people who care about each other and support each other through life’s ups and downs can help you heal from trauma and protect you from further injury.
Develop a sense of understanding and acceptance of racial issues. This opens the door to dialogue about issues related to race. This doesn’t mean accepting racism is OK. It means accepting it as a reality, learning ways to address it within yourself and figuring out how to take action to create change.
Talk about race with people who will understand your experiences. Racial trauma is often made worse by having your experiences of bias and disrespect ignored or denied by the dominant culture. Talk about race with people who can validate your experiences, share similar experiences of their own and talk through ways to respond that counter the negative effects of racism. This kind of racial storytelling gives you and others a chance to bring painful feelings about racial encounters out of hiding and think critically about events in your lives.
Participate in community activities that work toward change. Challenge the negativity in yourself and others by joining with others to take positive action. The Black Lives Matter movement is about healing racial trauma, ending police brutality and addressing the many aspects of structural racism.
Other local and national groups are working to help undocumented immigrants, provide opportunities for youth, advocate for tenants, feed the hungry and be a voice for the incarcerated. Helping others and joining a community of people with a common cause can make the world a better place while restoring your optimism, strength and resilience.
Practice the process of naming experiences. This is what happens when we say the names of Black or Latinx people who have died in incidents of unjust violence. We remember and honor them, and when we do it together, it gives us strength.
Naming events from your own experience can help you remember and make sense of their emotional impact on you.
Be honest about your feelings and your needs. Racial trauma can distort our thinking and cause us to misdirect our emotions. We can turn the pain inward onto ourselves or the people we love. As you think and talk about the impact of race on your life, challenge yourself to be honest about your feelings and open about your needs.
Ask for help
The emotional damage from racial trauma can lead to unhealthy and self-destructive behaviors and thought patterns. A professional therapist who understands the pain caused by race in our society can help you re-channel rage, challenge negative thoughts and build self-esteem and resilience.
One helpful resource for Black people seeking a racially aware therapist is www.AfricanAmericanTherapists.com
With help, you can develop psychological, emotional, and behavioral resources that can act as a protective shield in the face of future indignities and devaluations. Spiritual help can offer much of this same protection if you find a faith leader or fellow worshippers who acknowledge and validate your pain and give you comfort and strength.
Source: Excerpted and adapted from the book Rated Black: A Parent’s Underground Guide to Dealing with Police, by Dr. Kennette, Thigpen (Swiner Publishing, 2019)
