Should the Issue of Slavery be a Part of the Racial Issue in Modern Day America?

July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (MMHAM). As the founder of the No More Martyrs mental health awareness campaign, we are still enjoying and processing feedback from our inaugural Minority Mental Health Awareness Summit held in Birmingham, Alabama on July 14, 2016. The summit brought together individuals from across the United States and Canada to explore topics related to minority mental health. The response has been incredible and plans for next year’s event are already underway. So, imagine, on this last week of MMHAM, how disappointing it was to log onto LinkedIn and find an article by a mental health professional titled "The Issue of Slavery Should Not be a Part of the Racial Issue in Modern Day America: A Study in Chronological Factors". In light of current racial tensions in the United States and the rise of evidence-based research regarding racial fatigue and post-traumatic slave syndrome, this article is wrong and dangerous on so many levels.

First, the article presents random historical facts out of context and in a tone that dismissively implies that slavery experienced by various groups (Irish, British, Native American, etc.) was somehow worse than that experienced through the African Slave Trade. This statement reminds me of the first college class I taught. During that class, two students engaged in a heated debate about which was worse; slavery or the holocaust.   I will say now what I said then….debating which is worse is irrelevant. Instead, in order to understand the existence of legalized discrimination and sanctioned hate, we must explore how power and bigotry have informed (and continue to inform) interlocking systems of oppression throughout history. (See Patricia Hill Collins - Matrix of Domination). It is irresponsible and counterproductive to conveniently repackage history to accommodate an ill-informed and inherently biased viewpoint; especially if you are in a help-related field such as mental health.

Strike One

Second, in stating that other individuals experienced slavery while emphasizing the fact that some Blacks owned slaves, the LinkedIn article encourages the idea that minorities (specifically Black people) currently engaged in the racial debate in “Modern Day America” should just get over it….that they cannot be traumatized by something other Black people also did to them. However, no one can name someone else’s trauma for them. Scholars such as Dr. William A. Smith (racial battle fatigue) and Dr. Joy DeGruy (post-traumatic slave syndrome) have found that the residual impacts of slavery combined with sustained exposure to modern-day racial discrimination can result in psychological and physical symptoms of anxiety and depression. As a mental health professional, the author of the LinkedIn article should understand that attempting to downplay someone’s experience can actual heighten their distress. From my own research, I know that this culturally incompetent approach to mental health care is one of the many contributing factors as to why the Black community utilizes mental health services to a lesser extent than their White counterparts. But, let’s take this a step further because Black America does not have the monopoly on racial discrimination. Racial discrimination also impacts mental health in the Latino community (see Nayeli Y. Chavez-Due?as, Hector Y. Adames and Dior Vargas) and the Asian community (see Joyce P. Chu and Mimi Khúc). Trauma is best understood through the words of the one experiencing it.   But, you may not know that if you aren’t listening.

Strike Two

Third, despite the title of the LinkedIn article, this is not a study. The material presented in the LinkedIn article was done in a way that leads you to believe that some true thought went into it. However, even a shallow reading of the article will show that no facts were checked and very little effort beyond stated personal opinion was made.  As a matter of fact, various sections of the LinkedIn article were plagiarized from such authors as Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a noted historian who has conducted research on Blacks who owned slaves. However, unlike the LinkedIn author, Dr. Gates did his due academic diligence and explored the socio-historical context that served as the backdrop of slavery. In addition, a review of the book titled ‘White Cargo: The Forgotten History of Britain’s White Slaves in America’ was also plagiarized and used to promote the idea that others had worse experiences with slavery. However, the authors of ‘White Cargo’, who are noted journalists from London, stated themselves that they did not want their book to be used to “play down the horrors of the much larger black slave trade”. This leads me to question the motives of the author. At the end of the day, what did she hope to accomplish with her LinkedIn post? What message did she aim to relay? If given the opportunity, this is a conversation I would welcome. Unfortunately, when efforts are made to twist and misconstrue information, it gives the impression that this is an attempt to justify bias in a professional setting.

Strike Three

Unfortunately, it may be the author who is striking out but we all lose if we don’t take the time to acknowledge the danger of this kind of pseudo-intellectual sugar-coated prejudice.

Earlier this week, First Lady Michelle Obama shared the following statement at the Democratic National Convention:

“The story that has brought me to the stage tonight. The story of generations of people who felt the lash of bondage, the shame of servitude, the sting of segregation, who kept on striving, and hoping, and doing what needed to be done. So that today, I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves. And I watch my daughters — two beautiful intelligent black young women — play with the dog on the White House lawn.”

So, should the issue of slavery be a part of the racial issue in modern day America? Yes and here is the reason why: It is OUR shared history. It is OUR collective past. If we as modern day America are to speak about racial issues, let’s speak honestly. If we are to make change, let’s do so in a way that acknowledges the impact that this aspect of our history continues to have on all of us. If you are a mental health professional, don’t make light of the fact that historical as well as modern day bias, prejudice and hate are impacting our mental health. If you are a professional in any field who is committed to cultural responsiveness and equity, I encourage you to address dangerous rhetoric disguised as evidence-based information. Let’s change the course of the conversation from one of divisiveness to one of community. We can and should have this conversation beyond slavery in order to address more current issues (see ‘The New Jim Crow’ by Michelle Alexander). However, we cannot have the conversation without continuing to acknowledge that slavery and its remnants are at the foundation of our continued racial strife.   Should the issue of slavery be a part of the racial issue in modern day America? A better question is: Should slavery be a part of our collective past? The answer to that is no, it never should have existed….but it did and, as a result, will forever be a part of the racial issue in America.

My goal with this post is not to demonize the author of the LinkedIn piece. This is primarily why I didn’t mention her name throughout my response. If this article was posted on Facebook, it is somewhat unlikely that I would have taken the time to respond. However, on LinkedIn, professional relationships are encouraged and partnerships are formed. (At least, that has been my LinkedIn experience so far.) As such, I felt a professional obligation to speak to the danger of this type of article in the same way I would have spoken up if this sentiment was expressed in a board meeting. Rather than focus on the author, I would like to use the LinkedIn article as an example of why cultural competency training is still important, needed and relevant; especially for individuals in service-oriented fields such as mental health. What kind of support is a person of color likely to receive if they are being treated by someone who is not equipped to show empathy regarding racism, sexism, classism or any form of prejudice?   At the close of Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, I would like to encourage us all to think about our current state of affairs regarding race relations in the United States. This matters to our mental health. The world is watching and we are all up to bat.