Let’s Talk…about the impact and significance of racial trauma

Race-based events have always been present, and in today’s world, we have become more exposed to such events due to mainstream media coverage. Race-based events are especially distressing for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). A racially-charged event may appear to be a standalone incident, or it can be a cumulative experience for a BIPOC individual. The race-based incident is only one of many repeated, re-experiences of similar race-related events over the BIPOC individual’s lifetime. This re-exposure and reliving of race-related events can cause racial trauma, or race-based traumatic stress (RBTS).

Racial trauma, or RBTS, is defined as the psychological and emotional injury caused by experiences with racial bias and ethnic discrimination, racism, and hate crimes (source: Mental Health America).

Race-based events that can cause, exacerbate, and/or retrigger racial trauma are countless, but often they can include, though are not limited to:

• Individual events, such as lived experience with race-related hate crimes, persistent micro-aggressions, police-involved incidents
• Vicarious events, such as indirect exposure, like viewing videos of violence against BIPOC community
• Systemic events, such as inequitable access to medical treatments, inaccessible health coverage, and limited school funding and resources
• Intergenerational trauma, such as unresolved emotional trauma passed down from generation to generation associated with recurrent experiences of racism
• Politicization of race-related events

It is important to be aware of signs and symptoms associated with trauma so that you can begin to seek ways to cope and manage your emotions, including seeking professional help if needed. If you have or are currently experiencing any of the of above signs and symptoms due to race-related events and incidents, consider taking the following steps to cope emotionally as well as actions to take to further empower your sense of self-efficacy:

• Be aware of any activities you are considering engaging in that may be potential reminders and triggers of past RBTS trauma. Avoid them when possible.
• Practice daily meditation and mindfulness exercises, including during times when you are calm. Your mind and body will remember to use these skills when you experience distress in the moment to help soothe and calm you when it is most needed.
• Connect with others who support and understand racial trauma.
• Limit your exposure to media coverage, especially images and/or videos, of the race-related event.
• To help you feel more comfortable in responding to potential future encounters, such as a racial micro-aggression, consider practicing with a trusted friend or family member of how you may respond.
• Seek and participate in peaceful racial justice activism to the extent that is comfortable for you.

Did you know that the UCLA Staff & Faculty Counseling Center can assist you in coping with traumatic events? Please call us today at: (310) 794-0245.