Black children were already experiencing disproportionately high levels of trauma before Donald Trump’s second term as president began. Additionally, Black children’s mental health is in danger of being severely damaged as a result of Trump’s pledges to implement anti-Black and anti-education policies in a city close to you.
Protecting our children’s sanity at all costs must be our responsibility as Black community members and constituents.
The time is already known to you. Black children are subjected to racialized K–12 school discipline at substantially higher rates than their white counterparts. Whether as a result of illness or violence, Black adolescents are more likely than other youth to have suffered the devastating loss of a parent or sibling. The situation is made worse by the fact that Black people, particularly children, have much lower access rates to healthcare than other groups.
A YouTube video is included here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFJ37ri-Saw
Not to mention the un-Blackening of a public school system that is already Eurocentric.
Research indicates that regular exposure to Black history and Black individuals and perspectives in school curricula significantly improves Black student outcomes (grades, attendance, and behavior). Therefore, Trump’s pledge to eliminate a large amount of Black-related educational content (from K–College) is not encouraging for the welfare of Black youngsters.
In fact, the University of Texas at Austin has already pointed out a number of terms that it believes violate the state’s anti-DEI legislation. UT teachers and their students may face severe consequences if they utilize terms and phrases like “diversity,” “underserved,” “safe space,” “white privilege,” “colonizer,” and others.
Check out this link: https://defendernetwork.com/news/local-state/texas-sb-17-impacts-students/
Ignore the fact that underprivileged Black children would suffer if such discussions about the need of diversity, the need to eradicate white privilege, and the need to expose the colonizers are not held.
Therefore, our children’s poor circumstances are going to get much worse as DEI, Affirmative Action, etc. come to an end. These could make educational development even more difficult by perhaps widening the gap in academic achievement, reducing college scholarships and funding, and decreasing the number of universities working to address historical racial injustices.
Check out this article: https://defendernetwork.com/news/local-state/ut-texas-loses-diversity/
Unless we choose to create a different outcome, our children may be at danger of experiencing a trauma tsunami.
What can we do, then? What are we supposed to do?
These four things, at the least.
ENCOURAGE
In order to achieve academic and professional goals, attitude—the way a person thinks about themselves and their potential—is more significant than IQ, according to numerous university research and scientific surveys.
The bad news is that Black kids are exposed to 200 negative messages every day on average. Even worse, according to psychologists, it takes five positive signals to offset one negative one. And simply to break even emotionally, very few, if any, Black people are receiving 1,000 nice texts every day.
This implies that Black parents, educators, entertainers, social media influencers, entrepreneurs, media outlets, and businesses that aim to attract Black customers need to engage in a constant campaign of encouragement.
Words of encouragement and positivism for Black youngsters must be over the top. This implies that all of us—parents, educators, etc.—must firmly suppress the disparaging remarks.
Encouragement gives our children the optimistic outlook and high expectations they need to maintain healthy brain development.
ENLIGHTEN
Black (Pan-African) history should also be taught in gatherings with two or more Black people in 2025 and beyond. We already know that giving our kids more exposure to our stories enhances every part of them. Why in the world are we waiting?
In places like churches, temples, mosques, community centers, schools, barbershops, and so on, our youngsters must be given the chance to learn about our history—from the creation of the earliest civilizations to the practice of magic in the present era—as well as all the highs and lows encountered along the way. We need to make a special effort to offer books, films, and podcasts of all genres that highlight the diverse range of Black genius, struggles, and triumphs. Not to mention the time-tested, face-to-face interactions, particularly when older family members and community members share their viewpoints and experiences with the younger generation.
All of these tools help our children learn the most fundamental spiritual lesson of all: Know yourself, man or woman. This involves developing appropriate programming for our kids’ central and core processing systems to maintain optimal mental and emotional health. Locate Black humanity-focused seminars, workshops, and activities (or start your own) and enroll the young people in your lives.
EMBOLDEN
The National Institutes of Health states that providing children with a safe environment in which to discuss their problems, anxieties, and challenges can result in better mental health, resilience, stronger bonds, better coping strategies, higher self-esteem, and the development of critical problem-solving abilities. In other words, it enables children to feel heard, understood, and equipped to deal with challenges in an effective manner.
ADD THE VIDEO HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhPpU7MvkFw
Peer-to-peer rap sessions, groups of kids having these discussions with a certified counselor, or individual therapy sessions are examples of these safe environments. Get started after determining what works for you and your family. In any case, this is an essential time for our kids’ mental health.
EMPOWER
Because the young people in our care cannot be in our protecting presence all the time, adults (parents, guardians, teachers, counselors, coaches) must give them the skills they need to navigate environments and situations that denigrate and attack Black humanity.
Positive affirmations are one useful tool among many. My younger sister revealed years ago that she was scolded by one of her high school teachers for being a terrible writer who would never become an expert in the field. Fortunately, her friends and family disapproved of that bullshit. She still had to enter the classroom by herself, without her entourage. However, she kept telling herself that she was equally skilled and competent in the art of writing as anyone else. She is by far the most gifted and brilliant of our parents’ two children and has been an incredible writer ever since.
Did I mention that my sister entered the classroom by herself? That s not completely accurate. You see, she brought an army of loved ones, supporters, and uplifters with her into every difficult situation when she applied the technique of positive affirmations.
Equipping our youth with other tools, like visualization (purposefully envisioning winning outcomes), deep breathing, and personal advocacy (speaking up for what you want, need and deserve) can also go a long way in protecting the minds and spirits of our babies.
Let’s get started.
