The year of 2020 marks the start of a global pandemic and the year which saw more black lives innocently taken through police brutality and racism. For me personally, it will also be the year that I finally confronted my painful past with racism and how that has shaped and affected me today.
It is no coincidence that 2020 also saw, thankfully, the rise of more mental health charities for black and mixed-race people. It was a result of this that gave me the chance to learn more about racial trauma, which inspired me to then speak to others in more detail about their experiences. Along the way I had the opportunity to speak to experts in racial trauma and all of this can be read in my latest feature for Black Ballad.
Black Ballad: Beyond Survival: Racial Trauma, Radical Self-Care & Our Healing As Resistance
Content warning: this article includes experiences of racist harassment, mention of suicide and self-harm.
I hope readers who have experienced racial trauma can find comfort in the stories shared and are able to take on the practical advice given from the incredible therapists who feature in this piece. I also hope that those who call themselves an ally, can gain an insight into how racism can affect ones mental and physical wellbeing.
Thank you for reading,
Chloe x