Skip to content
openDemocracy
Sign in Subscribe

After the violence and videos, therapists learn to treat racial trauma

From specialized clinics for African Americans to social media events that take the shame out of sharing, there's a growing movement to heal the psychological scars of racism.

By Jaime Alfaro
Published:
Share
Jaimealfaro2.jpg
Jaimealfaro2.jpg

Bassey Ikpi. Credit: YES! Magazine/Victor Ehikhamenor. All rights reserved

In 2004, spoken word artist Bassey Ikpi was hospitalized after a major bipolar breakdown. She’d been quietly diagnosed with the disorder eight months earlier while on tour with Def Poetry Jam, an HBO slam poetry television series. Hushed by the fear of stigma, Ikpi weathered the storm in silence for as long as she could. 

This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. If you have any queries about republishing please contact us. Please check individual images for licensing details.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0