Even before Donald Trump’s second presidential administration kicked off, Black children were already suffering an inordinate amount of trauma. And with promises of the Trump-led anti-Black and anti-education policies coming to a city near you, Black children’s mental sanity is at risk of being decimated.
Our job, meaning all members and elements of the Black community, must be to protect our children’s sanity at all costs.
You already know what time it is. Racialized K-12 school discipline hits Black kids upside the head at rates far greater than their white counterparts. Black youth are more likely than other youth to have experienced the traumatic loss of a parent or sibling, whether due to violence or illness. The fact that Black people, especially children, have significantly lower rates of access to healthcare than others only makes matters worse.
And I haven’t even mentioned the “un-Blackening” of an already Eurocentric public education system.
Studies show that Black student outcomes (grades, attendance, behavior) markedly improve when they are regularly exposed to Black history and examples of Black people and perspectives in school curriculums. Thus, Trump’s promised removal of so much educational content related to Black people (from K to College) does not bode well for Black youth’s well-being.
Hell, the University of Texas at Austin has already flagged several words it deems noncompliant with the state’s anti-DEI laws. The use of words and phrases like “diversity,” “underserved,” “safe space,” “white privilege,” “colonizer” and others can get UT professors and their students in serious trouble.
RELATED: https://defendernetwork.com/news/local-state/texas-sb-17-impacts-students/
Never mind the fact that not having those conversations about the need for “diversity,” the need to end “white privilege,” and the need to call out the “colonizers,” will do damage to “underserved” Black students.
So, with the end of DEI, Affirmative Action, etc., negative realities are about to get much, much worse for our children. These could potentially lead to a wider academic achievement gap, fewer scholarships and funds for college, and fewer universities seeking to end past racial injustices, making educational advancement even tougher.
RELATED: https://defendernetwork.com/news/local-state/ut-texas-loses-diversity/
A “trauma tsunami” could be brewing for our children… unless we decide to manufacture a different outcome.
So, what can we do? What must we do?
At the very least, these four things.
ENCOURAGE
Multiple university studies and scientific surveys show that attitude, the way a person feels about themselves and their potential is more important than intelligence in achieving academic and professional goals.
The bad news is Black children ingest, on average, 200 negative messages a day. Making matters worse, psychologists say a person needs to experience five positive messages to counteract one negative one. And few, if any Black you are being showered with the 1,000 positive messages per day just to break even emotionally.
That means Black parents, teachers, entertainers, social media influencers, business owners, media outlets, and those companies who seek Black dollars must put on a non-stop encouragement blitz.
We need to go over the top with words of positivity and encouragement for Black children. That means we all (parents, teachers, etc.) must also substantially turn down the negative chatter.
Encouragement helps create in our kids the positive and expecting attitude they need to keep their minds right.
ENLIGHTEN
In 2025 and beyond, where two or more Black people are gathered, there should also be some teaching of Black (Pan-African) history. We already know that more exposure to “our story” improves every aspect of our children. So, what the hell are we waiting for?
Churches, temples, mosques, community centers, school classrooms, barbershops, etc., have to become opportunities for our children to learn our history of creating the world’s first civilizations to our modern-day magic-making, as well as all the ups and downs experienced along the journey. We must go out of our way to provide books, movies, and podcasts of all kinds that speak to the wide array of Black brilliance, tribulations, and overcoming. And let’s not forget the tried-and-true, person-to-person conversations, especially with elder family and community members sharing their experiences and perspectives with the young’uns.
All these vehicles support our kids the most foundational of all spiritual teachers: “Man/Woman, know thyself. That’s creating the right programming for our children’s core and central processing units to keep their mental/emotional well-being in top shape. Find the classes, workshops, and events that center on celebrating Black humanity (or create your own), and sign the youth in your life up.
EMBOLDEN
According to the National Institutes of Health, giving children a safe space to talk about their issues, challenges and fears can lead to improved mental health, increased resilience, stronger relationships, better coping mechanisms, enhanced self-esteem, and the development of important problem-solving skills; essentially allowing them to feel heard, understood, and empowered to navigate difficulties effectively.
These safe spaces include peer-to-peer rap sessions, groups of children engaging in such conversations with a licensed counselor, or one-on-one therapy sessions. Find what works for you and your household, and get on it. This is a “by any means necessary” moment for our children’s sanity.
EMPOWER
Adults (parents, guardians, teachers, counselors, coaches), because the young people in our care can’t be in our protective presence 24/7, we must equip them with the tools needed to navigate those situations and spaces that attack and demean Black humanity.
One effective tool, out of many, is positive affirmations. Years ago, my baby sister shared that one of her high school teachers berated her as a horrible writer who will never master the craft. Luckily she had family and friends who rejected that nonsense. Even still, she had to walk in that classroom alone, without her posse by her side. But she constantly repeated to herself the belief that she was just as talented and capable as anyone else in the art of putting pen to paper. And she’s been a beast of a writer ever since – and by far the most talented and intelligent of our parents’ two children.
Did I say my sister walked into that classroom alone? That’s not completely accurate. See, when used the tool of positive affirmations, she entered every challenging space with an army of supporters, uplifters and loved ones with her.
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 to it.