These patterns and practices reinforce discriminatory beliefs, values, and distribution of resources. Structural Racism The American Medical Association defines structural racism as the multiple ways systems, policies, procedures, and laws perpetuate racial discrimination by mutually reinforcing racial bias in systems of housing, education, employment, earnings, benefits, credit, media, healthcare, and criminal justice. Feeling triggered by reminders of a previous racist experience, which can lead to strong emotional or physical responses (such as crying or rapid heartbeat).

Distrusting others due to multiple past losses or letdowns.Avoiding situations that are reminders of past racist experiences.“But, it’s important to keep in mind that each person reacts somewhat differently to racial trauma and stress, and will have a different tolerance or threshold to withstand the weight of it.”Īccording to the American Psychological Association (APA), other signs and symptoms that might indicate someone is experience racial trauma include:

Having intrusive thoughts, feeling a lowered sense of self-worth or self-esteem, socially withdrawing, or having heightened feelings of anxiety can all be symptoms of racial trauma, Dr. Microaggressions that cause racial trauma include direct individual interactions and experiences of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and nationalism, such as when someone clutches their purse when they walk past a group of young Black men, according to ABCT. Macroaggressions that can cause racial trauma include society-level events or policies that discriminate against Black people, according to the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), such as examples of police brutality, like the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Racial trauma can happen on a micro or macro scale. In the United States, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities tend to be most vulnerable to racial trauma because of the culture and history of racism in the country, but it’s worth noting that any individual who suffered emotionally because of a racist encounter can experience racial trauma, according to MHA. Race-based trauma (or race-based traumatic stress) refers to the emotional and mental injuries that result from continued exposure to racism, ethnic discrimination, racial bias, and hate crimes, according to Mental Health America (MHA).

Black intergenerational trauma