Cycle
by Ife Ojo
Embedded Files
HEADLINE: Derek Chauvin found guilty on 3 charges in murder of George Floyd.
Few hours later…
HEADLINE: Ma’Khia Bryant Was Shot and Killed by a Columbus Police Officer.
Next day
HEADLINE: Andrew Brown Jr., a 42-year-old black man, was fatally shot in the head by a deputy sheriff.
It never ends.
Yesterday, it was endless beatings, burning, shackling; today it’s accidental use of “taser,” taking a knee on necks, breaking into homes; and what will it be tomorrow? The only offense is being Black. Day by day, it gets more dangerous to leave the comfort of your home, or even to stay in your home, because that comfort can easily be disrupted by some white cop. I think I speak for every Black person when I say that we are scared of the day it might be our turn. Somewhere in my brain, I am expectant of the day when I take my last breath in the hands of a random cop or when my fate will be decided by some random officer.
These headlines affect the mental health of Black people especially often Black teenagers are not initially comfortable talking about their mental state to their parents. “Culture plays a huge part in this stigma. Because of the many years of overcoming adversity, Black people are seen as strong and able to handle anything. So when it comes to mental adversity, they think therapy and other treatments aren’t needed”( Raglin 2021) It’s either “You are not stressed, you’re just a kid.” or “What are you depressed about?” or “You’re not depressed, you’re just sad” or “How you depressed when you got food to eat, a roof over your head, clothes on your back?” I feel like that last one is really common in Black households. These comments are dismissive of how teens really feel, especially in a time when police brutality is becoming something normal.
According to The Washington Post, “The rate of Black Americans showing clinically significant signs of anxiety or depressive disorders jumped from 36 percent to 41 percent in the week after the video of Floyd’s death became public. That represents roughly 1.4 million more people'' (Fowers 2020). 1.4 million more people just in a week. 1.4 million more people who will most likely not receive help from healthcare professionals because they are Black. 1.4 million more people with their mental health impacted.
Black teenagers can’t talk about their mental health to their parents, neither can they get access to healthcare and help they need because of discrimination. “Black adolescents are less likely than White teens to be treated with beneficial psychiatric medications, and more likely than White teens to be hospitalized involuntarily. Other reports suggest Black youth with psychiatric disorders are more likely to be referred to the juvenile justice system, while White youth are more often referred for mental health treatment” (Hulbert 2020). Slowly, Black teenagers go from expressing their feelings and emotions to not expressing it at all as they do not get help from their parents or healthcare providers. And because they never got the help they needed when they were younger, they grow up to be adults that don't know how to communicate their feelings and then the cycle continues with their own kids. The only thing they did wrong was being Black.
Sometimes I wonder if these generational problems that Black people face stem from slavery. Maybe Black people think that they can’t fall victim to mental illness because of the pain and suffering they had to endure in times of slavery without folding. Or maybe because Black people have been discriminated against, they have learned to deal with what they can deal with on their own, with natural remedies, and dismiss what they can't deal with or treat themselves. I mean, it’s easier to hide an infection than seeking help where it’s uncertain. I fear that these things that we have been conditioned to think are normal aren’t normal, and it’s going to be difficult to break these cycles. Where do we start?
Page updated
Report abuse