address it. Our results, however, show several types of racial teasing are harmful for Black adolescents.”
Needless to say, there is a need for more modern and “developmentally-appropriate” approaches to dealing with racial discrimination among pre-teens and teens. Many schools incorporate programming to help prevent race-driven incidents and microaggressions, but it begs the question of whether that is enough, especially because racial discrimination is a key factor in health inequities among Black people.
“Although public discourse can indirectly or directly blame health inequities on black youth, our study provides evidence that racial discrimination in society is a fundamental cause of these health inequities,” English said. “Knowing this, people in positions of power…have a responsibility to consider discrimination as a critical aspect of the daily experience and health of black teens.”
There’s no fix-all solution to these health inequities and anti-Black occurrences, and if there was it wouldn’t be on Black people to do the work. What we can do is check in with our teens and talk with them about their experiences. We can also use resources like Therapy For Black Girls, Therapy For Black Men, TalkSpace, and OpenCounseling to assist our youth in taking better control of their mental health. Let us know your thoughts!
Jasmine Danielle is the Associate Editor of BlackDoctor.org. She received her BFA in Dance Education & Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has since done work as a certified fitness & wellness educator, blogger, dancer, and designer.