What is Racial Trauma?
Racial trauma refers to the experience of danger from racial discrimination, whether it be real or perceived. This means that racial trauma could come from overt actions (e.g. having a racial slur hurled at you, being a victim of violent acts because of your race) to more covert events (e.g. telling someone from a minority race that “you look good for someone of your race”). It could also happen when a person of a minority race witnesses harm done to other racial minorities (e.g. seeing a fellow minority race co-worker being verbally bullied for their race).
Effects of Racial Trauma
In extreme cases, racial trauma can result in symptoms similar to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – including having nightmares, flashbacks, strong feelings of fear or anger, avoidance of feared places/people, and becoming hypervigilant. More insidiously, it could also affect one’s sense of self as they internalised messages that tell them that they are less worthy because of their skin colour (Griffin, 2022). People experiencing racism and racial trauma have also been found to be at greater risk of physical conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular problems, have short life expectancies, and worst mental health outcomes (Kaholokula, 2016; Paradies et al., 2015).
What can we do when we witness Racial Trauma?
1. Harbour a curiosity for other cultures.
Expose yourself to cultures different from yours and allow yourself to experience these cultures and its people with curiosity and non-judgement. This could help you to become more aware of your own biases and lead to a better understanding of your own culture while fostering an appreciation for the diversity of our human experience.
2. Keep yourself updated and informed about racial issues.
Educate yourself on issues related to race, expose yourself to different narratives and perspectives. Be unafraid to question on-going narratives about racial issues and allow yourself to draw your own conclusions about these issues.
3. Be an ally!
Speak up against racist comments or actions when you witness them. Show support for survivors of racial trauma by listening to them, validating their experience, and helping them to share their experience if they choose to do so. Where necessary, encourage and support survivors to seek professional help for their traumatic experiences.
Let’s all try to make a small difference this International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination by pushing back against racism little by little!
To meet with a professional psychologist or counsellor, call The Other Clinic at 8809 0659 or email us hello@theotherclinic.sg.
References
Comas-Díaz, L., Hall, G. N., & Neville, H. A. (2019). Racial trauma: Theory, research, and healing: Introduction to the special issue. American Psychologist, 74(1), 1.
Griffin, S. (2022). Healing Racial Wounds: Exploring the Work of Mental Health Professionals on Racial Trauma with African American Clients [PhD thesis].
Kaholokula, J. K. A. (2016). Racism and physical health disparities.
Paradies, Y., Ben, J., Denson, N., Elias, A., Priest, N., Pieterse, A., Gupta, A., Kelaher, M., & Gee, G. (2015). Racism as a Determinant of Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PloS One, 10(9), e0138511–e0138511.