While trauma is often viewed as a single, specific incident, trauma can also be accumulated over time. One of the most poignant examples in the United States is racial trauma experienced by people of color. These individuals are often subject to racism in both direct and indirect ways as they navigate life under a system that has largely been built against them.
Psychology experts have indicated that trauma stemming from systemic racism can contribute to symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Oftentimes this trauma is intergenerational or transgenerational—meaning that racial trauma experienced by one individual can have lasting effects on their children, grandchildren and so on, making them more susceptible to mental health issues.
Black children growing up in the United States face racism from an early age. In school, racist microaggressions may come in the form of jokes made by peers invoking racist stereotypes, being followed in stores on unwarranted suspicion of shoplifting, or insensitive comments about skin color.
A childhood filled with continual instances of being put down in such a way can build into an experience of trauma. It can contribute to a young black girl feeling like she will never be pretty enough to meet the standards of beauty, a young black boy feeling that he will always be perceived as a threat and so on.
Parents of black children bear an immense responsibility to reassure their children’s sense of worth in the face of racism. Black parents themselves have likely experienced similar discrimination in their own lives, as have their parents. The ongoing nature of this issue makes it even more difficult to regain hope for their children’s future.
Additionally, parents of black children must teach them early on how to handle interactions with police officers in order to stay safe. Having to face this reality so young can instill feelings of anxiety and build upon the trauma that has followed their family for generations.
As a result, whether or not to call the police in the event of a mental health emergency can be a difficult decision for people of color. Black Americans often fear the threat of violence, and for those for whom English is not a first language, the risk of miscommunication is incredibly high. Social workers like those here at North Shore Child & Family Guidance often must play the role of advocates and translators when possible in order to ensure a safe interaction.
The inability to fully trust these resources to provide essential help results in an inequity in accessibility. In crisis situations, this accessibility is imperative, and the inability to achieve it can foster widespread community trauma.
Unfortunately, black Americans are also less likely to have their mental health problems adequately addressed than white Americans. Though stigma around mental health is a barrier to seeking treatment for many individuals, black Americans have the added fear of being misunderstood or judged due to racial biases. In a population that experiences trauma in the form of systemic racism on a daily basis, these fears may make black Americans more vulnerable to mental health issues.
Combating the stigma around mental health should start at home and at a young age. Parents must encourage their children not to feel ashamed of their emotions or any difficulties that they may be having.
It is also imperative that racial discrimination be seen as a potential source of trauma for people of color in the United States. By recognizing the traumatic nature of racism, the necessary mental health treatments can be developed and utilized.
The response to the death of George Floyd should serve as a reminder that the systemic issues of racism are pervasive, and they undoubtedly affect the youngest generations as well. We must encourage children to be empathetic and to recognize racism in any form as harmful. By recognizing the traumatic impact of systemic racism, those subject to it can receive the help that they need. For black Americans, it is needed now more than ever.
Something’s been bothering me. It’s been festering since Memorial Day Weekend.
It was crystallized for me the other day when I turned the corner after walking just a few blocks from my home on my way to the neighborhood grocery store.
As I turned the corner, I spotted some activity in front of the new lunch spot that had just opened the day before. The menu looks appetizing: cheese steaks, burgers, salads, foot-long hot dogs, wings, tenders, fries and a variety of toppings.
There’s been a lot of turnover in that space over the years. Most recently it was a fancy taco spot and before that the specialty was grilled cheese. Years before there was a Subway there. The building itself is narrow with limited seating, including a few tables situated outside. There is some competition on the strip: a top-notch Jewish deli, Chinese takeout, a pizza joint and a Tex-Mex restaurant.
As I walked towards the sandwich shop, I spotted five young boys about 13 years old. They were sitting around a small table, no masks and inches away from one another.
I told this story to a few friends and there was an instant flash of recognition, suggesting that this is going on all over and not just with kids.
Everyone had a story, including one about group of Wall Street guys having a few drinks and a meal after a round of golf. They were situated in the same tableau as the teens, sitting casually around a dinner table, only in a fancier setting.
When I walk or ride my bike around town, I see people of all ages gathering closely together, no social distancing and no masks. Now that’s not everybody, for sure. But there are too many. Too close for comfort.
I imagine you have viewed the scenes of throngs of young adults sun bathing in a pool at the Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. The worldwide protests in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing seemed to bring everyone together and united in outrage in the fight for racial justice. And soon there are expected to be partisan rallies with packed houses of people who are being asked to sign disclaimers in the event that they become infected and seriously ill with COVID-19.
In all these situations – frivolous, deadly serious or politically motivated, the issue is not so much about only protecting oneself but protecting those with whom you come in contact after these gatherings – your loved ones, friends, colleagues, neighbors and strangers. No disclaimer protects them.
It is no surprise that with the beautiful weather and people having been sheltering-in for months, everyone was ready to be released and feel the freedom of walking the streets again, gathering on the sidewalks with neighbors and heading for the open spaces of local beaches, parks, playgrounds and ball fields.
And so many have been out of work for such a stretch that along with the freedom has come a return to work for the people whose jobs did not permit them to work remotely from home.
Kids were not allowed to finish their school years and for many their homes became pressure cookers as opposed to sanctuaries. We have all been more that ready to break out, spread our wings under the sun and embrace family and friends.
The timing for “opening up” has been influenced by an amalgam of science, politics, business, faith and personal belief. I believe strongly that opening up prematurely without adequate testing and contact tracing as well as consistent wearing of masks and social distancing is a formula for trouble and puts everyone at risk.
Nevertheless, I am afraid that complacency has set in.
Thinking back about the young teens sitting around the table at the cheese steak spot, I wondered to myself, what will it take for people of all ages to become aware of the potential consequences of such behavior? A vaccine may be our savior in the end, but why don’t we begin by practicing compassion?
What this means is first practicing self-compassion, taking good care of oneself. Then, listen generously, try to be fully present and practice putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. As the saying goes, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
In more present terms practicing compassion is simple: Wear a mask and keep your distance. That’s being kind. We are not nearly out of the woods. Not just yet.
Andrew Malekoff is the executive director of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, the leading children’s mental health agency on Long Island. The Guidance Center is seeing new and existing clients via telephone and video during the COVID-19 crisis. To make an appointment, call (516) 626-1971. Visit www.northshorechildguidance.org for more information.
Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, protests have occurred in all 50 states demanding justice for Floyd and an end to police brutality. The movement has gained international momentum, with Black Lives Matter protests occurring across the globe.
Young people, in particular, have been showing up in large numbers to anti-racism protests being held throughout the country, demonstrating that the next generation is dedicated to the development of a more just and tolerant society.
Many kids are taught from a young age that they should speak up for what is right. From stories of heroism in literature to anti-bullying workshops in schools, children learn that it is up to them to have the courage to take a stand against unjust treatment. To reiterate this so much in childhood, yet discourage them from taking part in civic activism, renders the entire effort futile.
It is important for parents to remember that their child or teen’s passion for certain causes and desire to get involved in events like fundraisers or protests are crucial steps in the development of their conscience and personal beliefs.
Even those parents who want to encourage their children to be active and engaged with causes they are passionate about may hesitate to allow them to attend the current protests. With the COVID-19 pandemic still an ongoing concern, many parents fear their kids could get sick. Though many protesters have been wearing masks, adequate social distancing is nearly impossible with such a large gathering of people. And, though violence has been rare, it is still something that parents will likely factor in their decisions.
These concerns bring to light another essential lesson that parents must share with their children: courageous and dedicated activism comes in many forms.
By definition, a protest is a “solemn declaration of opinion and usually of dissent.” Though marches and other public protests undoubtedly demonstrate solidarity and dedication to the cause, there are many other ways to protest racial or any other injustice if you feel unsafe attending these events.
As our Executive Director Andrew Malekoff explains, “If, as a parent, you feel strongly about particularly social issues, the best way to motivate your child is to be a good role model through your own civic engagement. This can be through public participation such as demonstrations or protests, quiet or animated but respectful conversations with friends or relatives, letter writing expressing your opinion for possible publication, fundraising activities or volunteering behind the scenes.”
With the constant stream of social media, it is easy to feel like we are not doing enough, or doing the wrong thing, when we see posts of others attending protests, sharing information and signing petitions. For non-Black allies especially, empathy and education are the highest priorities. The learning process is constant for children and adults alike, and it is imperative that social media is not the be-all and end-all of allyship.
While social media is a great way to promote awareness and valuable resources, real change occurs offline. It happens in difficult conversations with loved ones, initiatives of diversity in schools and workplaces, efforts of charitable organizations and much more.
The Black Lives Matter protests have shown, once again, that the younger generations provide hope for a better future. “The best we can hope for is that our kids eventually become active participants in community affairs and help to change the world where we have failed,” says Malekoff.
Parents should encourage their children to apply the passion behind protests throughout their lives, finding small moments to make meaningful change and listen to the needs of others. Teach them never to lose the spark of youth and the vision of a brighter future—no matter how many obstacles may stand in their way.
As Mahatma Gandhi said in 1931, “If we are to reach real peace in this world, we shall have to begin with the children.”
When I was 10 years old, I discovered a thick folder in a box at my home in New Jersey. I twirled the string that held the flap secure and pulled out the contents—a cache of newspaper articles dating back to the mid-1930s. The articles were from the Newark Star Ledger and the Newark Evening News.
As I sifted through the news clippings, they all had one thing in common: They were about my father and his days as a high school athlete in Newark.
When I asked him where they came from, he replied, “Oh, your grandmother cut them out of the newspaper.” My grandmother Jennie was an immigrant from the part of Russia now known as Belarus. She and my grandfather Joseph came to the U.S. sometime around the early 1900s. Neither one spoke English at the time, only Yiddish.
I’m sure my grandparents knew next to nothing about American sports, but somehow my grandmother knew that her son was doing something noteworthy if his name was always in the newspaper.
To attest to their lack of knowledge about football, years later I learned that when my grandfather—a carpenter whom I called Pop—went to his first game and saw my father’s youngest brother get gang tackled, he ran onto the field and started throwing the opposing team’s players off the pile to free his son.
I had known that my father was an athlete in his younger years, but I knew none of the details that the treasure trove of news clips revealed. One in particular came to mind almost as soon as the Coronavirus pandemic led to “sheltering-in.”
Back when I first found the articles, I spent months carefully trimming them and using Elmer’s glue to paste them into a scrapbook that I’ve kept until this day. Today, talk of quarantine led me to dig it up.
As I flipped through the pages, I found an article with this long headline: Test Guard After Brother Gets Scarlet Fever. Streaks Minus Star, Meet St. Benedict Prep’s Gray Bee. Ace’s Return Hinges On Condition. My father Izzy was a guard on the basketball team.
The article, written by someone named Frank J. Fagan, went on to state: “The chances of South Side High School’s Sun Streaks in the state basketball tournament grew dimmer today when it became known that Izzy Malekoff, star guard, may be lost to the squad for the remainder of the season. Albert Malekoff, the South Side player’s younger brother, was taken down with Scarlet Fever on Saturday. Izzy immediately took up quarters with a teammate who lives near him.”
Fagan went on to write, “The Board of Health, however, has quarantined Izzy, who is to take a test today to discover if the fever germs have invaded his system . . . If it is found that the schoolboy athlete has contracted the germ, he will not be allowed to return to school for a month.”
Back in those days, signs were posted on homes of those who were infected that read: “Quarantine Scarlet Fever. No one shall enter or leave these premises except as provided by the State Department of Health or Local Board of Health.”
Although I have not done an exhaustive study on scarlet fever, what I learned is that there is no vaccine; recommended prevention includes frequent handwashing, not sharing personal items and staying away from other people when infected. I couldn’t find anything about six feet or wearing masks.
In the early 1900s, before antibiotics were available, it was a leading cause of death in children. Can you imagine if that was true in today’s Covid-19 pandemic? Perhaps some of our fellow Americans who appear to think older people are expendable would think twice.
In case you’re wondering, for some reason at the time I never asked my father how it all turned out. The story left my mind after first reading it.
Until now.
Andrew Malekoff is the Executive Director of North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, the leading children’s mental health agency on Long Island. The Guidance Center is seeing new and existing clients via telephone and video during the COVID-19 crisis. To make an appointment, call (516) 626-1971. Visit www.northshorechildguidance.org for more information.
