Finding Strength in Who You Are: A Guide for Black Youth Facing Discrimination

By Tiffany Eve Lawrence

Many young Black people know how painful it is to deal with unfair treatment based on their race whether they experience it directly, see their friends and family endure it, or encounter it on their social media feeds. When it happens, it can leave you with questions about what’s happening and why.

• Why would they treat me like that?
• What did I do? 
• Why did that comment feel hurtful?

It’s human nature to have these questions, but you have done nothing to deserve mistreatment. 

Being connected to your racial identity and having pride in your ethnicity have been shown to be a type of protection, especially for Black youth. It can act as a buffer against the negative impacts of discrimination. 

In a study from the Gallup Center on Black Voices, one in five Black college students said they experience discrimination at school either occasionally or frequently. That can bring up mental health challenges that include symptoms of depression, anxiety, and imposter syndrome. It can affect your self-esteem by making you question your worth. But research shows that taking on positive messages connected to Blackness improves self-esteem and resilience. 

No one person can eliminate racial discrimination on their own, but it’s important to equip yourself with tools to protect your mental health when you face it. Having a strong awareness of your identity can be a shield. Here’s how:

Proactivity Is Protection

People are often reactive and take steps toward understanding the value of their racial identity after experiencing unfair treatment. But you can be proactive by learning about your heritage. Your pride in your heritage can protect your self-image against acts of discrimination and minimize the damage of unjust treatment.

Recognize Discrimination for What It Is, and Don’t Let It Define You

Racism is the belief that some races are superior to others, which leads to discrimination and prejudice. This unfair treatment is intended to prevent  the community that’s being oppressed from recognizing their value. 

With a better understanding of your identity, you can see that who you are doesn’t change based on the way you’re treated by society. Your intelligence, compassion, and strength don’t go away just because someone else does not value them.

Don’t Be Hard on Yourself

Sometimes people are hard on themselves for not having the perfect response to a moment of discrimination. They may replay it in their mind and blame themselves for not being brave enough to speak up. 

Discrimination is about the person using their power in harmful ways to maintain control. There is nothing about yourself you need to change, so you can release self-blame for not responding a certain way. You can use positive self-talk. These phrases can help you move away from memories of what you didn’t say or do. 

No one should have to feel the sting of discrimination. You can, however, protect your mental health when it happens. The more secure you are in your identity, the less of an impact discrimination will have on you.

Learn More About Black Mental Health

• Celebrating Your Black Identity Is Self-Care
• How Exploring Your Black Identity Can Improve Your Mental Health
• Ways to Begin Exploring Your Racial Identity
• How to Break Free of the ‘Strong Black Woman’ Stereotype
• Using Humor As a Healthy Coping Mechanism
• How Black Youth Can Take Care of Their Mental Health After Racial Violence
• How to Find a Therapist Who Understands Your Background
• The Benefits of a Therapist Who Understands Your Cultural Background
• How Race-Related Trauma Affects Mental Health
• How You Can Cope With Racism and Racial Trauma
• How Black Youth Can Take Care of Their Mental Health After Racial Violence
• Getting Mental Health Support in Black Families