Racism is America's favorite pasttime, next to baseball.

“Surviving a day of racism in America”

                                        - M.H. Johnson

Surviving a day of racism in America takes more than turning a blind eye to absent or negative images of “minority” cultures presented in the media. Also, it takes more than having a good job. For many Americans, survival in this lifetime involves coping with racism and ignoring or managing acts of discrimination on a daily basis. But the effects of discrimination are cumulative, and over a period of time, they take a toll, affecting the quality of life in an entire society.

Studies have shown that racism destroys physical and mental health, family connections, and longevity, yet all over the world, it is a staple, consumed on a daily basis. Studies indicate only about ten percent of the population are willing to admit conscious or unconscious racism, and those who adamantly deny their racist tendencies are the most likely to practice it behind closed doors, knowingly or unknowingly.

Next to baseball, racism is America’s favorite pastime. Despite confessions of conscious or unconscious stereotyping and discrimination, and regardless of the problems it creates, far too many are so caught up in a destructive cycle of inhumanity to man and womankind. Racism is also not limited to the U.S.A., but in America, possibility exists, and working together in unity, we can win this game of diminishing returns.

While racial discrimination happens across race, gender and ethnicity, it is predominately perpetrated by whites against “minorities.” Other countries also follow discriminatory practices,but America is supposed to be different. There are laws that offer equal protection and equal rights, but racial discrimination and inequality persist, leading to greater personal dissatisfaction, increased unemployment, high rates of emotional and mental illness, high rates of crime and incarceration, poor quality of life, and shorter life spans. Not only does racism affect individuals and families but also, it affects our society as a whole.

Racism can be detected everywhere in American society and it affects everyone--those who discriminate and those discriminated against. It can be subtle, beginning with images and portrayals of different ethnic groups in the media or blatant, creating fears of being randomly targeted, incarcerated, or even killed for “driving [or simply walking] while black” or Latino. The recent killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman is an all too recent reminder that injustice based on racial discrimination and stereotyping is real.

In the article, “No, You’re Not Imagining It,” Dr. David R. Williams explains how “unconscious bias is literally killing us” and our economy.  Because of lost productivity, racism in America negatively impacts our economy to the tune of $billons. According to studies by Dr. David R. Williams, "Two health economists and a health policy expert calculated for us what the inequalities are costing the U.S. economy. They came up with an astounding $310 billion a year...."(136).      

 

Along with its economic impact, racial discrimination has cumulative effects which perpetuate a cycle of life choices that negatively impact quality of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Stress of coping with racial discrimination and its social impact has led to diminished health and inequities in health care access. Poor health, along with inadequate health care resulting from discriminatory practices, affects quality of life in the workplace and at home. Higher incidences of illness and disease persist in “minority” cultures, leading to inability to maintain employment and support families. What follows is a subculture of crime, increased rates of incarceration, and feelings of hopelessness across generations.

So what’s fueling our racist tendencies and discriminatory practices? Why can’t this crime against entire cultures of people be eliminated once and for all? Studies indicate, America’s racism is a remnant of a colonial system defined by racial stratification. Within that system of racial inequality, social hierarchies were created based on designations of political power, which included the percentage of white blood one was presumed to possess. Within specific guidelines, lines of demarcation were drawn and a system of “divide and conquer” was put into place. Those working in the house were taught to mistrust, despise, and report the shenanigans of those working out in the fields.

America, along with other colonizers, including Great Britain, created empires based on the philosophy of “divide and conquer, creating and offering opportunities to a ruling sub-class, often referred to as “the privileged class,” while leaving others disenfranchised. For political leaders, intentionally creating class distinctions within the same ethnic or cultural sub-group served a specific purpose: animosity within the same ethnic group. This prevented the formation of a unified system of protest and rebellion against those in charge.

Remnants of this animosity between Americans of the same ethnic group exist today, and it’s not just among “minorities.” Those from the dominant culture comfortably discriminate against their own kind based on class and gender while those who are persecuted develop increased hostilities toward ethnic or racial “minorities,” accusing them of taking undue advantage of the political system.  While the social and political practice of “divide and conquer” can be witnessed all over the world, unlike American society, the majority of these societies do not claim to support equal rights.

In America, a certain hypocrisy seems to exist because while we support equal rights, inequality is being fueled on a daily basis. Being discriminated against is a major cause of stress, illness, and shorter life spans. This country has a long way to go when it comes to achieving equality, and it would be to our advantage to do so as soon as possible. Entire neighborhoods in America are becoming virtual war zones, and our prison populations are exploding.

How long can we continue to decimate our culture by depriving “minority” populations of equal rights, economically, socially, and spiritually? Far too many are surviving day to day in a world where only the strong can survive the daily regimen of being administered strong doses of negativity, hostility, and discrimination in a game of diminishing returns. Throughout the years, generations have defied the odds and achieved great things, but there is much to be done. Winning against racism begins with a message that pertains to all of us, across race, gender, and culture: Stop the discriminatory practices, build a strong supportive team, and watch this country thrive.

                                Works Cited

Williams, David R. “No, You’re Not Imagining It.”  ESSENCE, Sept. 2013: 136

Trauma is life-changing, for better or worse.

Lets call her Elaine, once a good friend of mine. After her personal tragedy, she served time behind bars. Before being locked away, she mailed me a packet of information explaining why she killed her son.  He was misbehaving, smarting off, talking back, and spinning out of control, and after all of her efforts, he had failed her. It was not the first time someone had failed her.

She gave her thirteen year-old son everything she could, but he had seen so much negativity that he suffered a nervous breakdown when only nine years old. He had witnessed his mother’s sexual assault, had watched her boyfriend mistreat her, and had learned that his father abandoned his mother on the day he was born. He had been in therapy and for a while was not allowed back into the home that he and his mother shared.

What he knew is, his mother loved him.What he didn’t know is his mother was deeply in debt and suffered depression. She had already lost one home to foreclosure and was facing bankruptcy. The new car she had bought was being used by a boyfriend who often failed to pick her up after work, leaving her and her son walking long distances to get home.

One evening, with a blood alcohol level of .25 and feeling hopeless, she had an argument with her son. When she’d had enough of the disrespect and back-talk, she left the room, made a trip to the secret place where she kept a loaded gun, reentered the room where her son was sitting, and made a bad decision. Calmly, she placed the barrel of the gun against his skull and pulled the trigger.  Then she turned the gun on herself.

When the authorities entered the home, they found a thirteen year old boy bleeding from the head and a distraught mother who had botched the job of killing herself.  The bullet had ricocheted off her forehead and lodged in the ceiling. The son was dead but his mother had survived. Because she had suffered trauma, depression, and childhood sexual abuse, she was not convicted of first-degree murder. Instead, she served time for a lesser crime.

Trauma happens and its effects are often cumulative but when it is suspected, it is important to take action because trauma can lead to emotional disorders which are invisible, like PTSD and depression. Feeling overwhelmed, unable to solve problems, and feeling sad, anxious, or depressed might be the only recognizable signs of an invisible assailant lurking within the emotional system.

After extremely negative or tragic events,  not everyone will become traumatized, but for those who do, trauma is life-changing, for better or worse.The effects of trauma usually surface as PTSD which can lead to depression or which often co-exists with depression. Left untreated, these emotional illnesses can become internalized, only to resurface as acts of violence against self or others. Emotional disorders require some type of treatment or intervention, by a licensed mental health professional or through recognized self-help practices. It's important to know the symptoms but even more important to get help.

 --Emme H. Johnson (excerpt from book in progress)

Guilt and Shame have their place, but do they have value?

Guilt and Shame have their place, but do they have value?   Emme H. Johnson

Guilt and shame are two emotions that involve other people. In other words, they are social emotions that only surface when we interact with others. To some extent, we all have a need to be accepted and emotionally supported by members of a group, and when group approval is jeopardized, we experience feelings of extreme regret. Guilt and shame are two emotions related to feelings of regret. These two emotions can be covert or overt, but if they are not recognized and managed, they can lead to sadness, depression, or self-sabotage.

In his article, “Toward authentic self-esteem” (Psychology Today, May 30, 2013),

Joseph Burgo, Ph.D. explains the difference between 1) guilt and 2) shame. According to Burgo, guilt involves awareness of what we have done to others, whereas shame relates to our improper or dishonorable behavior and how this behavior has made us appear to others. Guilt is based on the realization that someone has been hurt by our actions, whereas shame stems from behavior that is observed, judged, or perceived as judged by others.

We all share basic human needs and according to one humanist psychologist, Abraham Maslow, group affiliation is a human need which must be fulfilled according to a certain hierarchy in which basic needs are met before higher needs appear. Once a higher need appears, it also must be fulfilled. Following physical needs and a need for safety, our need for a sense of belonging, love and acceptance by members of our society or social group(s) begins to surface. When our negative actions hurt others, positive feelings about ourselves are diminished, we fear our acceptance in a community is jeopardized, and we feel guilt or shame. These two social emotions are important in maintaining a sense of community support and morality, but if they are not recognized and managed, they can affect to our emotional well-being.

Although both emotions negatively impact our sense of self-worth, to feel guilt, we must empathize and recognize the affect we had on someone else. Guilt involves being aware of our wrong-doing and disappointed in ourselves because we let someone down. Guilt implies a desire to take responsibility, seek forgiveness or make a change.

However, shame reflects a concern for the way others see us, and it involves feelings of embarrassment to the point of powerlessness because on some level we fear disapproval and rejection by our group with no possibility for changing the situation. People who are unable to face and process this painful emotion might develop feelings of persecution or victimization, which lead to diminished self-esteem. Also, instead of accepting blame, they might blame others for the negative situation, attempting to side-step this emotion altogether, rather than face it.

Guilt and shame are strong emotions that work to guide behavior within societies and social groups. No one is an island, and feeling disappointed by our behavior or fearing rejection by the established group is a strong motivator. Whether emotions of guilt and shame are overt or covert, they are emotions that must be recognized, expressed and managed. If not, they can lead to sadness, depression, or self-sabotage. Feeling accepted strengthens our emotional well-being.