As the trial of Derek Chauvin continues, the video that shows bystanders begging the former officer to take his knee off of George Floyd’s neck is painful to watch. But the footage is also difficult to avoid as it airs over and over again.
The images are disturbing, particularly to Black and Brown communities, who have long been traumatized by the history of racial injustice in the U.S. Minneapolis racial trauma expert Resmaa Menakem says this trauma is passed down from generation to generation, becoming a physical manifestation of the systemic racism we’re only now starting to acknowledge as a nation.
The impact of tragedies like Floyd’s death goes far beyond the individual who has been brutalized, he says.
“The purpose of doing something like what Derek Chauvin did on camera is to not create terror in the person that he was murdering, but also create terror in the community that was left,” Menakem says. “This is a long history, a long historical trope of murdering Black bodies and Indigenous bodies and then leaving them in the public in order to instill racialized terror and trauma.”
The people of Minneapolis have experienced a great deal of trauma in recent years. In 2016, Philando Castile was shot and killed inside his car after telling the police officer who stopped him that he was legally carrying a gun. Justine Damond, a white woman, was fatally shot by an officer in 2017 as she waited for the police in her alley after she called 911 to report an assault.
People in Menakem’s community are watching select clips of the Chauvin trial, which he recommends. Members of the community are also reaching out to one another and gathering at what he calls “wailing homes” — places where people can let out their emotions and cope with “a sense of communal, overwhelming dread,” he says.
Read the complete article at: KUOW
Also Read: How Racism Affects Health Outcomes For Pregnant Black Women And Their Babies
State Reps. Maureen Madden and Malcolm Kenyatta
How far have we come, and how far do we have to go to diminish — and possibly eradicate — racism in high schools and college campuses?
Our hearing on racism on the topic pulled the curtain on the continued systematic injustice towards minority students on high school and college campuses and the lack of diversity in educators. In some Pennsylvania school districts there is a blatant lack of effort to recruit and retain educators of color and that is problematic.
The historic limited access to education for people of color is still happening. Students shared their stories of the mental, physical and emotional toll their experiences with racism and discrimination have had on their well-being. Fortunately, these students turned their painful experiences into meaningful advocacy. Their testimony showed the challenge facing educational institutions in Pennsylvania.
Educators, including teachers and administrators play a large role in dispelling hate in their schools. It’s imperative that they are reflective of the communities that they represent but the statistics show, they don’t.
While students of color make up 33 percent of Pennsylvania’s population, less than 5 percent of teachers are people of color. Across the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education faculty, 4 percent are Black, 3 percent are Hispanic and just 6 percent are Asian. When students see a diversity that reflects them in their educators, it shows promise. It shows hope. It lets them know that they can achieve that same success in life.
Testifier Tameko Patterson, Stroudsburg Area School Board director and chairperson of the Education and Legal Redress Committees for the Monroe County Branch of the NAACP, said there are so many complaints from the various school districts such as:
Read the complete article at: Pennlive
Also Read: New York City school segregation perpetuates racism, lawsuit contends
A Black stealth pilot of F-22’s said in a 60 Minutes interview that racism in the Air Force made him quit his job.
Maj. Daniel Walker had an 11-year-career flying jets but he describes working for the Air Force as an “uphill battle.” Walker, a descendant of a Tuskegee airman who earned a Distinguished Flying Cross for his service, said he was subjected to racism similar to his great-uncle Norman Scales, according to CBS.
“The way you stand, the way you walk, the way you sit, the way you speak. In what is supposed to be an objective field, [they] are subjectively rating you to others in the sort of unofficial grapevine of evaluation,” Walker told CBS.
Read the complete article at: Black Enterprise
Maj. Daniel Walker had an 11-year-career flying jets but he describes working for the Air Force as an “uphill battle.” Walker, a descendant of a Tuskegee airman who earned a Distinguished Flying Cross for his service, said he was subjected to racism similar to his great-uncle Norman Scales, according to CBS. “The way you stand, the way you walk, the way you sit, the way you speak. In what is supposed to be an objective field, [they] are subjectively rating you to others in the sort of unofficial grapevine of evaluation,” Walker told CBS. Maj. Daniel Walker had an 11-year-career flying jets but he describes working for the Air Force as an “uphill battle.” Walker, a descendant of a Tuskegee airman who earned a Distinguished Flying Cross for his service, said he was subjected to racism similar to his great-uncle Norman Scales, according to CBS. “The way you stand, the way you walk, the way you sit, the way you speak. In what is supposed to be an objective field, [they] are subjectively rating you to others in the sort of unofficial grapevine of evaluation,” Walker told CBS.
Pope Francis on Sunday denounced racism, likening it to a virus that lurks in waiting and only to emerge and show that “our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive” as people think.
Francis tweeted on racism on the date that the United Nations marks as International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
The pope likened racism to a “a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding, and lurks in waiting.”
“Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think,” Francis tweeted, adding the hashtags #FightRacism #FratelliTutti. “Fratelli Tutti” is the title of the encyclical, or special teaching document, which the pope issued last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to press for solidarity, brotherhood and care for the environment worldwide.
Read the complete article at: Western Slope Now
Pope Francis on Sunday denounced racism, likening it to a virus that lurks in waiting and only to emerge and show that “our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive” as people think. Pope Francis on Sunday denounced racism, likening it to a virus that lurks in waiting and only to emerge and show that “our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive” as people think. Francis tweeted on racism on the date that the United Nations marks as International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The pope likened racism to a “a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding, and lurks in waiting.” “Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think,” Francis tweeted, adding the hashtags #FightRacism #FratelliTutti. “Fratelli Tutti” is the title of the encyclical, or special teaching document, which the pope issued last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to press for solidarity, brotherhood and care for the environment worldwide. Pope decries Pope decries
Racism in policing garners the most attention because it has long-lasting and sometimes fatal consequences for those who encounter it. But systemic racism has become increasingly apparent in fire departments, too.
Four Black firefighters in Oakland were reportedly harassed and ostracized because of their race, and in another case, an Oakland fire captain was awarded a $450,000 settlement in 2015 after suing for discrimination.
Sacramento is now reckoning with the reality of racism in its own ranks after a young Black firefighter resigned and spoke out about his experiences.
Desmond Lewis, 27, tendered his resignation less than one year after joining the Sacramento Fire Department in March 2020. He cited a hostile work environment where he “regularly heard racially charged remarks, was suggested not to ‘congregate with just my own’ and was even questioned about my loyalty to the department because of the color of my skin,” Lewis wrote in his resignation letter.
Read the complete article at: The Sacramento Bee
Racism in policing garners the most attention because it has long-lasting and sometimes fatal consequences for those who encounter it. But systemic racism has become increasingly apparent in fire departments, too. Four Black firefighters in Oakland were reportedly harassed and ostracized because of their race, and in another case, an Oakland fire captain was awarded a $450,000 settlement in 2015 after suing for discrimination. Sacramento is now reckoning with the reality of racism in its own ranks after a young Black firefighter resigned and spoke out about his experiences. Desmond Lewis, 27, tendered his resignation less than one year after joining the Sacramento Fire Department in March 2020. He cited a hostile work environment where he “regularly heard racially charged remarks, was suggested not to ‘congregate with just my own’ and was even questioned about my loyalty to the department because of the color of my skin,” Lewis wrote in his resignation letter. firefighting firefighting
As Oprah Winfrey’s TV interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex reverberates internationally, it’s left the more than 50 million viewers grappling with the couple’s claims of racism and lack of support that Meghan says drove her to thoughts of suicide.
But for many Black women worldwide, the headlines and social media discussions were painfully familiar. With social media conversations questioning whether racism affected Meghan’s treatment by the British press and royal family, many Black women say it is yet another example of a Black woman’s experiences with racism being disregarded and denied.
“White supremacy seeks to isolate you, make you feel like no one is listening and no one is supporting you. It uses that as a tool to keep in power,” said Gaye Theresa Johnson, associate professor in the Department of African American Studies at UCLA. “And so when you aren’t validated in your feelings or feel supported, that does real harm.”
Read the complete article at: VOA News
As Oprah Winfrey’s TV interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex reverberates internationally, it’s left the more than 50 million viewers grappling with the couple’s claims of racism and lack of support that Meghan says drove her to thoughts of suicide. But for many Black women worldwide, the headlines and social media discussions were painfully familiar. With social media conversations questioning whether racism affected Meghan’s treatment by the British press and royal family, many Black women say it is yet another example of a Black woman’s experiences with racism being disregarded and denied. “White supremacy seeks to isolate you, make you feel like no one is listening and no one is supporting you. It uses that as a tool to keep in power,” said Gaye Theresa Johnson, associate professor in the Department of African American Studies at UCLA. “And so when you aren’t validated in your feelings or feel supported, that does real harm.” Invalidations Invalidations
United Nations human rights officials issued a report Tuesday condemning environmental racism in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley,” where the mostly Black population breathes air heavily polluted by an ever-widening corridor of petrochemical plants.
Once the site of plantations where generations of enslaved African workers toiled and died, the 85-mile stretch along the lower Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans has for decades served as an industrial hub, with nearly 150 oil refineries, plastics plants, and chemical facilities.
The area is also home to the descendants of those enslaved workers, who studies show have suffered and died from cancer, diabetes, and respiratory diseases at higher rates than most of the country, and higher than Louisiana as a whole. The risk of cancer from air pollution in the corridor is 95 percent higher than in most of the country, and during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, death rates from the virus soared.
Read the complete article at: Grist
United Nations human rights officials issued a report Tuesday condemning environmental racism in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley,” where the mostly Black population breathes air heavily polluted by an ever-widening corridor of petrochemical plants. Once the site of plantations where generations of enslaved African workers toiled and died, the 85-mile stretch along the lower Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans has for decades served as an industrial hub, with nearly 150 oil refineries, plastics plants, and chemical facilities. The area is also home to the descendants of those enslaved workers, who studies show have suffered and died from cancer, diabetes, and respiratory diseases at higher rates than most of the country, and higher than Louisiana as a whole. The risk of cancer from air pollution in the corridor is 95 percent higher than in most of the country, and during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, death rates from the virus soared.
For Black women who are expecting a baby, pregnancy can be filled with the anxiety of knowing you will have to navigate a health care system plagued by racism. That racism affects the quality of medical care Black women and infants receive.
According to the most recent data from the California Department of Public Health, Black infants in California are three times more likely to die and 60% more likely to be born prematurely than white infants. Black mothers are three times more likely to die due to pregnancy or delivery complications than white mothers.
Darynee Blount is a certified professional midwife who owns Birth Roots Women’s Health and Maternity Center. They recently partnered with Project Concern International’s Healthy Start program to address the disparities pregnant Black women face. It was her own traumatic birthing experience that led her to do this work.
After becoming a midwife, Blount said that when she attended the births of Black women she noticed similar things to what she experienced while giving birth.
Read the complete article at: KPBS
For Black women who are expecting a baby, pregnancy can be filled with the anxiety of knowing you will have to navigate a health care system plagued by racism. That racism affects the quality of medical care Black women and infants receive. According to the most recent data from the California Department of Public Health, Black infants in California are three times more likely to die and 60% more likely to be born prematurely than white infants. Black mothers are three times more likely to die due to pregnancy or delivery complications than white mothers. Darynee Blount is a certified professional midwife who owns Birth Roots Women’s Health and Maternity Center. They recently partnered with Project Concern International’s Healthy Start program to address the disparities pregnant Black women face. It was her own traumatic birthing experience that led her to do this work. Health Outcomes Health Outcomes Health Outcomes
For Black Americans, Covid-19 is another brutal reminder of the racist legacy of the American healthcare system. A disproportionate number of the 500,000 Americans who have died of coronavirus are Black. Yet African Americans and other people of color have struggled to access vaccines.
Racism corrupts every facet of the US healthcare system. Discriminatory practices barred the entry of Black candidates into medical, nursing, dental, pharmacy and other professional healthcare programs. Segregated medical facilities and unjust treatment within medical facilities continue to plague Black patients.
Two recent examples illustrate these failures. David Bell, a 39-year-old public safety worker, died in the parking lot of Barnes-Jewish hospital, in a suburb of St Louis, Missouri, after visiting the emergency department on three occasions complaining of chest pains, and being sent away with ibuprofen.
Read the complete article at: The Guardian
For Black Americans, Covid-19 is another brutal reminder of the racist legacy of the American healthcare system. A disproportionate number of the 500,000 Americans who have died of coronavirus are Black. Yet African Americans and other people of color have struggled to access vaccines. Racism corrupts every facet of the US healthcare system. Discriminatory practices barred the entry of Black candidates into medical, nursing, dental, pharmacy and other professional healthcare programs. Segregated medical facilities and unjust treatment within medical facilities continue to plague Black patients. Two recent examples illustrate these failures. David Bell, a 39-year-old public safety worker, died in the parking lot of Barnes-Jewish hospital, in a suburb of St Louis, Missouri, after visiting the emergency department on three occasions complaining of chest pains, and being sent away with ibuprofen. Two recent examples illustrate these failures. David Bell, a 39-year-old public safety worker, died in the parking lot of Barnes-Jewish hospital, in a suburb of St Louis, Missouri, after visiting the emergency department on three occasions complaining of chest pains, and being sent away with ibuprofen.
Black employees are exhausted. Over the past year, their cognitive, emotional, and physical resources have been disproportionally depleted due to two deadly and intertwined pandemics: Covid-19 and structural racism. Black people are more likely to lose their jobs and be hospitalized or die from Covid-19, while still facing disproportionate threats of brutalization and death from policing compared to white people.
Additional factors exacerbate these experiences. First, assaults against Black people were major news stories in 2020, broadcasted regularly across all types of media. This is what’s known as a racial mega-threat — a negative, large-scale, race-related event that receives significant media attention — which heightens racial trauma. Research shows that this type of ongoing experience creates psychological racial battle fatigue — a natural depletion response to commonplace, consistent experiences of heightened distress due to racism.
Second, Black employees and leaders are also often asked to educate non-Black individuals about racism and, in many cases, to lead the antiracism charge in their organizations. Responding to such requests and/or fulfilling them requires both physical and emotional labor, which can heighten existing fatigue. All of this is being added to the weight of ongoing disparities in the workplace, including pay inequality and lack of representation in leadership.
Read the complete article at: Harvard Business Review
