#racial-trauma

#racial-trauma

Black students, on average, face lower graduation rates, fewer college pathways, and long-term economic consequences. But racial trauma makes this gap worse. Whether it's being underestimated in the classroom, forced to walk through metal detectors every morning, or exposed to viral videos of police brutality, Black children absorb daily messages that erode their focus, sense of safety, and confidence. Research shows that the stress of combating stereotypes and discrimination even elevates cortisol (the stress hormone), impairing learning and motivation.

Many students reported experiencing racial microaggressions in classrooms and social spaces, including being mistaken for service workers, being made to feel like outsiders, or feeling a need to suppress aspects of their racial or cultural identity to 'fit in.'

Racial trauma is not a mental disorder but an injury stemming from experiences of racism. Healing begins with acknowledgment and empowerment, rather than pathology.