race and mental health: the psychological damage on people of colour when dealing with racial issues
If the last six months have taught us anything, it is that something is wrong, very wrong. In this time of uncertainty, confusion, anger and resentment, it is difficult enough to know how to even process or make sense of the constant barrage of negative information coming our way, let alone how to actually do something about it. Thinking globally about these issues can be a taxing activity, however, acting locally can be massively impactful and is something that everyone is capable of. I think now more than ever, it is crucial to narrow your focus in order to broaden the scope of your understanding.
Systemic racism has become a term used more frequently in recent months, though many politicians, political commentators, and even ordinary people still choose to ignore its existence or downplay its extremity. Don’t get me wrong, I am, and have always been, willing to have conversations with people of that opinion. However, after reading Akala’s ‘Natives: Race And Class In The Ruins Of Empire’ ‘The Autobiography of Malcolm X’ and CLR James’ ‘The Black Jacobins’ it is difficult to ignore the fact that systemic racism has been alive and well for centuries. The brilliance of those three books, in my opinion, is partly down to the breadth of research and the incredible detail in which concepts like systemic racism are dissected and explained. Mainstream media, and especially discussions that take place on social media have a horrible tendency to oversimplify these issues and reduce them to a “yes or no” debate: if only things were that easy.
The movement against systemic racism is one that is absolutely crucial to progressing towards an equal society, however, it is just as important to examine and further understand the effect of racial discrimination on the mind of the individual. In my own experience as a London-born Iranian, I’m no stranger to racial abuse, however, I am totally aware and thankful that my experiences have been relatively mild (in comparison to what many others have gone through) and have never resulted in any violence. I remember waiting in line for a student nightclub with my friend once and when we got to the front of the line the bouncer (who was just a student a year or two younger than me) checked my white friend’s ID and then checked my ID - which happened to be identical to my friend’s. “Is this a British driver’s license” he asked me, to which I responded “yes” but what I was really thinking to myself was “what as opposed to a Muslim driver’s license?” He even had the audacity to call one of his senior colleagues to take a look at it to determine whether it was perhaps some sort of detonator; the other bouncer gave him a look after checking my ID, as if to say “why are you wasting my time?” It’s funny what a high vis jacket and some perceived authority can do to your ability to stand up for yourself.
As a result of those experiences as well as my own curiosity on the subject, I began to delve deeper into the history of racism. What I found was profoundly disturbing. Let me make this perfectly clear, I am not for one second suggesting that people should not give themselves the same opportunity to further understand and contextualise racial discrimination, but what I will say is that it is vital, especially for ethnic minorities, to be mindful and aware of the effect these revelations can have on a person’s psychology. There was perhaps a two to four year period of my life where I was totally guilty of attributing every negative occurrence in my life to racism, and whether any number of those occurrences were rooted in racism or not (thinking back on it now I’m certain that almost all of them were not), I can tell you for sure that this is not a healthy way to live.
Thinking that the system is stacked against you because of your race (which admittedly it is to some degree) does not have a positive effect on one's mental health. A friend of mine once told me they didn’t bother applying for a job in an industry they were passionate about, despite having all the skills, intelligence and qualifications, because they were convinced that their race would be off putting to employers. Though I completely understood why they felt that way (part of me even thought, “yeah you’re probably right”) I convinced them that it was pointless to think that way and that they should apply for the job, which I’m pleased to say they have now been working in for two years. Assuming the presence of racism in individual people who you haven’t met, or have no knowledge of, is not helpful to a person’s individual goals and aspirations. Racism is out there, there’s no doubt about it, but you MUST NOT allow it to define you. Study, understand and combat the issues, but avoid making them a part of who you are.
Illustration by https://instagram.com/esmeleeart