Black women’s mental health

We don’t EVER!?

I will be honest, many of you will reject this because at the core it will call you to the table of accountability.

I think some of what I say is so deep-rooted and unconscious that it can be hard to digest and at times this may seem irrelevant or boring.

Believe it or not, I can often feel like this......

It is much easier to deny, reject, or sweep under the table.

But, over the years I have built a tolerance to stay with difficult stuff even when it feels uncomfortable, and I encourage you today to read to the end and remain curious.

Perhaps, it will unlock something in your unconscious?

Misogynoir - Dimensions of racism

Dimensions of racism are multilayered and often complex, some aspects overt and easy to name, others much more subtle or covert.

In the absence of having to navigate daily issues of race or gender, many of us have grown up in privilege.

Just for context, how many of you have ever considered it a privilege when you turn on a tap and have clean drinking water?

The truth is we don't EVER because most of us have always had this privilege!!

Perhaps, you have never experienced the specific hatred, dislike, distrust, or prejudice directed toward Black women and may even disbelieve the reality or impact.

But, remember our privilege is a precursor to believing that the status quo is normal and that we all have the privilege to turn on the tap.

Yet, just like the 2 billion people (26% of the world's population) who do not have access to clean drinking water, acts of prejudice and bias dehumanise and break down the psyche of black women daily.

Black Women’s Mental and Physical Health

Misogynoir runs deep like all dimensions of racism, the historical context of uprooting anyone from their land, separating them from family, forcing cultural assimilation, and denial of humanity under policies governments have enacted.

We create both institutional and structural systems of oppression that have adverse psychological effects on black women.

And, where employment, medical, and criminal justice systems contribute to these debilitating outcomes.

Numerous research studies have found connections between systemic racism and poor mental health.

The burden of historical and intergenerational trauma that black women are often burdened with contributes to the dwindling confidence, self-worth and psychological safety of a black woman in corporate.

The legacy of slavery and colonisation can be linked to the status of black women’s mental and physical health today.

Research from Gallup finds that Black individuals are most likely out of all racialised identity groups to experience micro-aggressions in the workplace.?

Similar to the impacts of PTSD or race-based traumatic stress which contributes to trauma reactions, such as sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety, depression, and dissociation.

A 2022 report from Black Women Thriving Report - Every Level Leadership highlights that a whopping 66% of Black women report not feeling emotionally safe at work.

Research also suggests that there is an interaction between the severity of post-traumatic stress, discrimination, and race/ethnicity or gender.

Such findings suggest that stress caused by racial discrimination can affect PTSD severity differently for people of various ethnic and gender groups.

Finally, a note to black women

What I know is this…..?

The women who are not a size 8

The women who don't have blue eyes and blonde hair

The women who are no longer youthful

The women who aren't straight

The women who are not neurotypical

The women who have pasts that we may not agree with

The women who the world has labelled "less than.

We fight to live, we fight not to be invisible, we fight for our children and we fight for equality.

The issue is not so much that we often need to fight more than others to be seen, heard or valued,

It’s that most of us don’t realise we’re fighting and don’t know which hills that we have climbed are important enough to die on.

You don’t have to fight to the death on every hill you climb.?

There is never a job or cause that is worth sacrificing your mental or physical health.

Know the hills you will die on!?

If you are a people leader and recognise you could do more to inspire black women into leadership. Let's connect here

Inspire Black Women into Leadership

I am really proud and excited Benevolent Health will be partnering with GatenbySanderson to celebrate women's achievements and raise awareness about discrimination, focused on black women in leadership. Register here

Bitesize weekly content! We hope you have enjoyed it. See you next week x

PS If you want to hang out.?Kinship is a Safe Space for Diverse Women. The First Friday of every month. Allies are welcome! Register here