This month, the College of Medicine Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office has invited Sheritta Strong, MD, director of the UNMC Office of Inclusion, to share her thoughts about dealing with the Derek Chauvin murder trial and the never-ending racist assaults across the country.
Only living under a rock would preclude a person from hearing about recent guilty verdicts in the Derek Chauvin trial, or the ongoing racist assaults on the Asian American population. With the conclusion of the Chauvin trial, more people are aware of the racism and discrimination prevalent in our society. The year 2020 will be viewed as historic not only due to the pandemic but due to America appearing to confront racism.
From COM DEI
April Spotlight: Assistant Dean of DEI Education Programs Nada Fadul, MD
The office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Education Programs is using the AAMC model for assessing institutional climate and culture.
The office is currently in the reflective and data gathering phases. In April, the office launched the tool for assessing cultural competence (TAACT) survey to educators and students. Following this, the office will gather the data, synthesize and analyze it, and then share results and leverage findings with educators and students. The office will conduct interviews and focus groups with faculty and students to assess current challenges, barriers and facilitators to integrating DEI into the medical school curriculum.
Many individuals pondered the decision to watch the trial. According to USA Today, livestreaming has allowed America to bear witness to the court proceedings due to the ongoing skepticism of the criminal justice system, and it gives the community the opportunity to see inside the belly of justices and injustices. There are several dynamics to consider in addressing whether to tune in: the role of the media and our attraction to tragic events; the effects on our psyche; and ways to mitigate this type of emotional stress that can lead to racial trauma.
Mental Health America describes racial trauma, or race-based traumatic stress (RBTS), as a mental and emotional injury caused by encounters with racial bias and discrimination, racism and hate crimes. This can occur interpersonally or from simply watching the news.
Knowing what is happening in the world is integral to our existence, and the media does an extraordinary job at broadcasting the latest news in ways that attract our attention. Many of us who are not considered “news junkies” desire to know what the breaking news is. In addition to reporting the event, the media can be a source of hope, community, justice and/or power. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder further reports a relationship between the media’s portrayal of tragic events and the experience of stress. Despite the stress and anticipatory anxiety, we find it hard to resist seeing stories of other people’s heartache, and sometimes we imagine ourselves or our loved ones in those painful images. How we experience the witnessing of the trauma can further intensify the stressful reaction.
Choosing to watch the suffering is a personal choice, but it has substantial cumulative effects over time. In so choosing, we must consider the vicarious trauma that occurs when these images are burned into our brain during the recurring broadcasts. This trauma can cause insomnia, restlessness, irritability, sadness, fear, anxiety and/or hypervigilance. Leading to nightmares, it also can aggravate and trigger a former personal traumatic experience.
To limit the effect, we can simply stop watching the news. Seeing another Asian person being brutally accosted on screen is not necessary; it is enough to know that this is happening. Seeing another person of color killed by police on screen is not necessary; it is enough to know it is happening.
Recognizing that tuning out may not be a desired strategy for some, the VA states to consider watching the programs at times other than bedtime or pivoting to reading the news instead. In reflecting and owning our personal emotional responses, we can acknowledge that we all respond in different ways. We also must accept our feelings for what they are.
Use external supports to discuss what is happening to decrease the emotional and physical experience of these feelings. We must learn to minimize the internalization of negative racial experiences. Additionally, in managing your self-care, the most important of all recommendations is to maintain a balance in your mental and physical activities. You must obtain adequate rest. And intermixing positive social interactions can help to mitigate the race-based stressors.
Finally, whether you choose to watch, read or talk about what is happening to racial minorities in our nation, keep in mind the effects that it has on your mind, body and spirit. Knowing these effects will help you engage in empowering, self-affirming activities to support your emotional health and to help promote social justice and change within the community.
Thank you for this sharing this crucial information.
Thank you for your insight, Dr Strong.