Racism in the Middle East is subliminal because we do not acknowledge it. We do not seem able to recognize it ourselves because it is so engraved in our culture. For example, the word “abeed” (عبيد), directly translating to ‘slaves’, is a very commonly used in the region to discriminate against Middle Eastern minority groups. This is a reflection of the years of prejudice and discrimination against black lives in the United States, and we can see the Black Lives Matter movement on the rise. We should be aware of the mental effects of racism on minorities in order to make a change. This can start with us changing our attitudes towards them.
What is happening?
The stories of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and, most recently, 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks from Atlanta have created a global tidal wave of demands to end policies that promote police brutality and systematic racism. This outrage struck when a Minneapolis police officer knelt on George Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes and killed him on May 25th of 2020. Instantly, thousands of people took the streets to protest in cities all over the United States to denounce institutional racism and police violence. These peaceful protests, however, were accompanied by a small percentage of looters breaking windows, starting fires, and stealing from local stores. While property damage is considered common when associated with this type of anger, no amount of stolen goods will ever make up for the loss of a human life.
Impact of racism on mental health
Racism is a serious and prevalent issue in the U.S. Research has shown an immense link between racism and anxiety, stress, and other mental health problems, as well as physical diseases. Polls and surveys have indicated an overwhelming majority of 88% Black Americans who experience racism, 87% who characterize racism as a “very serious” or “mildly serious” problem, and 78% who see racism as being a “widespread” occurrence in the United States.
Racism can take on many forms including racial macro aggressions. Their macro aggressions are described to be more overt racist experiences which may include being called a racial or ethnic slur, being physically assaulted due to race, or being denied fair wages due to race. On the other hand, however, microaggressions are described as subtle experiences that include intentional or unintentional slights that degrade individuals of color due to their race. Microaggressions also include assumptions of criminality or inferiority due to race.
About one in four Black Americans will experience an anxiety disorder at some point during their lives. Social anxiety disorder is the most common anxiety disorder with a prevalence of 10.8% among Blacks, followed by generalized anxiety disorder with a 5.1% prevalence, panic disorder with 3.1%, and OCD with 3%. Additionally, anxiety is seen to be more persistent in Black Americans in comparison to the general population.
Frequently experiencing racism at all levels has significant negative effects on both mental and physical health. Researchers have suggested that chronic experiences of racism and micro aggressions result in “racial battle fatigue”, which consists of anxiety, worry, hypervigilance, headaches, and increased heart rate and blood pressure. Specifically, negative racist experiences impact Black Americans in the following ways: perceptions of lack of control, internalization, and avoidance of valued action. Encountering frequent racial discrimination can create a feeling of not being valued and being viewed as a person of little to no worth, for both Black women and Black men. This experience is conceptualized as the “invisibility syndrome”.
Internalization
Internalized racism is defined as the unconscious or conscious acceptance, by the marginalized group, of negative critical beliefs about one’s worth. This can manifest in many different ways. For example, one belief is that having lighter complexion or soft-textured hair is more beautiful and viewed as more valued than one with a darker complexion and coarser hair textures. Many studies have shown that internalized racism is linked with poor self-esteem and higher levels of psychological distresses. Through much research and clinical presentations, it is believed that critical beliefs about oneself and demeaning self-focused thoughts are associated with the development and maintenance of anxiety symptoms. This also points to the significant impact of the detrimental and pervasive messages about the worth of Black Americans in the United States. These messages are seen in media-related platforms and are reflected in political figures and the low indictment and conviction rates of police brutality against the Black Community. Moreover, the internalization of these adverse beliefs can create feelings of helplessness, anger, trauma, fear, and shame.
Self-care during the movement
Take a break from social media. During times like this, especially given the pandemic, it can be overwhelming for a person to consume too much of it right now. It always helps to take a step back to breathe and take a moment for yourself.
Meditate. Meditation will allow you to detach yourself from the outside world temporarily.
Speak to a therapist or a trusted mentor. Oftentimes, getting things off your chest can clear your mind and remove piled up baggage off of your back. You will feel much more relaxed speaking to someone you are able to trust or a professional.
Write things down. Express yourself! Expressing yourself creatively or jotting down your thoughts to relieve the stress is always good for you.
How can you help in the UAE?
Living away from the protests that are happening, you may feel quite helpless, but you can always find many ways to help online.
Widen your knowledge on black history and continue educating yourself on what is going on. Sign petitions online, use your voice on your social media platforms and be affirmative for change, donate to charities, and consciously buy from black-owned businesses. You can do so much to help and not realize how much impact you will have on supporting the movement by doing simple things.
Educate your family and friends on the situation, do not be afraid to strike a conversation with your family and friends about this topic, and make sure you are continuously spreading awareness.
Really important article! I hope your message is heard loud and clear here and around the world!