Persistent exposure to highly publicized cases of racial violence—such as the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd—can result in negative psychological, emotional, and physical outcomes for Black college students in the form of racial battle fatigue (RBF). Unlike general stress, RBF is the cumulative strain and burnout of enduring racial microaggressions, institutional discrimination, and large-scale race-related traumatic events.
In a study published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Wilson and colleagues examined the mental, physical, and social effects of repeated exposure to racial violence for Black college students. Data were collected from in-depth qualitative interviews with 30 Black undergraduate college students from four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the southeastern United States. Wilson and colleagues found that while HBCUs provide crucial spaces for the cultural empowerment of Black students, their walls are not impenetrable to external stressors and the threat of racial violence. Black college students’ repeated exposure to the deaths of unarmed Black Americans through news stories, social media videos, and discussions with loved ones was associated with various psychological and physiological consequences. These consequences included emotional withdrawal, persistent tiredness, hypervigilance, constant worry, and concerns for their physical safety, all of which highlight the deleterious effects of prolonged exposure to racial violence.
Further, Wilson and colleagues’ analysis revealed the complex interplay between time and grief. For Black college students grieving the losses of unarmed Black people at the hands of police and neighborhood vigilantes, “time” served as a painful reminder of how Black lives, even in death, are minimized and ultimately forgotten. Specifically, students described the societal pressures to move on and resume everyday life in the aftermath of large-scale racial violence, which in turn, shaped their awareness of grief as a societal luxury that Black Americans (1) do not have the time or energy to fully experience and (2) do not feel they deserve due to cultural narratives and internalized beliefs about resilience.
Finally, the maladaptive coping concept known as “John Henryism” was considered by the authors given students’ persistent efforts to stay engaged in social justice efforts—such as sharing posts on social media, attending protests and marches, and signing petitions—despite extreme exhaustion (James, 1994). While noble, such resistance comes with a cost. Unrelenting efforts to challenge injustice and overcome hardship can result in long-term health effects for Black college students. Thus, to counter the pernicious psychological and physical toll of racial violence, students recognized self-care as a critical component of healing and long-term wellness.
This study offers deeper understandings about the acute and chronic stressors posed by racism and the disproportionate health outcomes for Black college students. It underscores the importance of culturally responsive interventions to mitigate the harmful health effects of racial violence exposure. It strongly recommends evidence-based practices, community-driven interventions, and policy reforms that systemically address policing disparities in Black communities.