Racial Trauma / Race-Based Traumatic Stress- refers to the stressful impact or emotional pain of one’s experience with racism and discrimination. Racial trauma is people’s ongoing experience of racism, racial bias, and exposure to racist abuse and violence, either in person or in the media. Not every incident of racism will result in racial trauma, however many incidents can produce post-traumatic responses in the people impacted.
Further clarification of terms we are using…
Racism- prejudice, discrimination, or resentment directed against a person or group of people based on their particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.
Racial Harassment– an incident or series of incidents intended to intimidate, offend or harm a person or group because of their race or ethnic origin. This includes but is not limited to:
- Derogatory name-calling
- Verbal threats insults and racist jokes
- Displaying racially offensive material
- Exclusion from events, conversations or activities
- Physical attacks
- Encouraging others to commit any of those acts
Discrimination- the unfair or harmful treatment of groups of people, on the basis of race, age, religion, sexuality, or gender identity.
Racial Violence- a behavior intended to hurt, injure or kill another person based on the color of a person’s skin or ethnic origin.
Institutional Racism- the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another.
