The racial history of America is undeniable. We've learned to live with the realities of a past steeped in overt racism and Jim Crow cruelty. And sadly, 2020 clearly dispelled any lingering hope that a post-racial nation is close at hand.
Are things all bad? Of course not, but an open-minded examination of politics, policing and a global pandemic reveals ongoing racial and ethnic inequity. Structural racism, however uncomfortable to face, is a danger to current and future generations.
For young people, in particular, the malignancy of racism, woven into the fabric of the institutions and systems is harmful on a variety of levels.
How Structural Racism Affects Young People of Color
Defining Structural Racism Promotes a Clearer Perspective
Lots of terms permeate racial discussion right now. Some buzz words (white privilege, white fragility, black power, white power) cause tension before a productive conversation can even get going. So, let's be clear: the term structural racism is not an attack. It simply means to point out the wide range of factors baked into our policies, practices, and social norms that promote inequality.
Many argue that structural racism is foundational in our nation. The initial goal of structural racism was to assign privileges linked with “whiteness” and disadvantages linked with “color.” Over time, assumptions and stereotypes about racial groups have become embedded in our culture. This serves to legitimize racial inequality and throw up roadblocks for young people. This can help but to alter their view of themselves and the world.
The Challenges Youth of Color Face Are Clear
Structural racism divides youth of color and their fellow white citizens. Young POC face disparate treatment in family support, local institutions as well as social policies and community-based systems. Consider some of the ways this negatively impacts POC and the capacity to create unified communities with white youth:
Structural racism perpetuates negative stereotypes that foster self-esteem issues
Young POC are born into a firmly set cultural framework that represents non-white racial groups clearly. Often, these depictions are inaccurate, harmful, and corrosive. Many young people, white and otherwise, don't realize how pervasively stereotypes serve to shape their thoughts and interpretations about themselves and each other.
These stereotypes often become the reasoning behind a sense of entitlement among white youth and a sense of powerlessness or hopelessness among young people of color. This framework helps to cement public policies and institutional practices that perpetuate who should be in charge and who should accept the status quo.
Structural racism blames the victim and minimizes the potential for change
When communities fail to address institutional inequalities created long ago, they seem justifiable, acceptable, and interwoven into the country's original purpose. For young white people, attempts to change structural racism feels like an attack on the values of the country.
And for young people of color? Unchecked structural racism feels inescapable, feeding anger and depression. It can also create a tendency for young POC to blame themselves for the gaps they see in socioeconomic arenas, uneven policing, and substandard healthcare. Worse, by accepting racial inequality as the standard, young people may not use the political means they do have to effect change.
Structural Racism erodes foundational factors for success
Economically, the gap between whites and black, Hispanic, and immigrant communities is well researched and explored. Lenders loan less, earnings are less, median household incomes are less. And the children born to parents affected by such inequity feel it from infancy into young adulthood. Certain poor outcomes affect youth in the most basic and formative ways:
Research reveals that children start to experience inequity in the womb. Women of color are more at risk for obstetric complications that can contribute to infection, maternal stress, and inflammation that can lead to mental health disorders and developmental delays.
Educationally, black and brown youth are also less likely to finish their high school educations or go to college than white, non-Latino youth.
As it pertains to employment, African American and Latino young people tend to live in the city where they have fewer work options and spend a large portion of their young adulthood unemployed. If they do work, their earnings are quite a bit less than better educated and more well-connected white youth.
Moving Forward
This discussion does not suggest that individual behavior is unimportant. Resiliency is vital for better outcomes among young people of color. However, the stressors connected to structural racism wear terribly on parents. Their ability to supervise, provide, and create opportunities for their children is hindered.
Compassionately paying attention to the fallout of structural racism benefits everyone in the long run. Regardless of color, so many people feel unable to attain as much peace of mind and financial security of past generations. Most can see how an imbalance in our institutions contributes to our collective troubles as citizens.
Valuing youth mental health and potential should be, and can be, a common goal. One that can be reached with a communal focus on fairness in education, employment, housing, healthcare, and justice.
Therapy is an important part of this effort. Changing minds and fostering understanding are a therapist's wheelhouse. If you are suffering, your child is struggling, or you want to underself more, let us help. Please read more about therapy and reach out soon for a consultation.
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