KANSAS CITY, Mo — Escalating violence in the black community and multiple viral videos showing African-Americans being killed is affecting the black community.
Licensed professional mental health counselor Janee V. Henderson, who operates a private practice in Kansas City, Missouri, said the number of her African-American clients experiencing racial trauma is increasing.
"People are used to viewing trauma as sexual assault or combat and they think of Afghanistan,” Henderson said. “What they don't think about is those who live in south side Chicago, and they witness death and dying every day just like in Kansas City.”
The most recent viral video is from Minneapolis, where four police officers were fired this week after George Floyd died in police custody. The video showed the officers with a knee on the Floyd’s neck while he was choking out the words, "I can't breathe.”
Damon Daniel, president of Kansas City's Ad Hoc Group Against Crime, said watching an officer put a knee on someone’s neck is “dehumanizing.”
"Ror me it's like, where is the dignity? Not only for this person, but even for the people wearing the uniform," Daniel said.
In Kansas City, Missouri, two weeks ago, two police officers were indicted on assault charges for slamming an African-American transgender woman's head onto a concrete sidewalk in May 2019 while holding her down with a knee.
In Georgia, in early May, cell phone video went viral showing an unarmed African American man, Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot and killed while jogging last February. Three men have been charged in his death.
"After previous assaults, we said, ‘Well, we can't wear hoodies.’ We said, ‘Well, we can't walk around at night,’ and now we're questioning, ‘Can I jog in broad daylight, or will someone assume that I'm running from a crime?” Henderson said.
Many black people, according to Henderson, are frustrated and angry, experiencing racial trauma and hypervigilance.
"Hypervigilance is the idea that I need to make sure that I'm OK. I'm checking on my surroundings, I'm looking around, I don't want to sit with my back toward the door because I want to make sure that I can see what's coming towards me,” she said. “I don't want to be caught off-guard.”
Daniel also discussed the recent video showing a white woman who was approached in New York City’s Central Park by an African American man who asked her to follow park rules and put her dog on a leash. The woman called police and said an African American man was threatening her.
"An African American man telling a lady what's right, but her white privilege showed in the video,” Daniel said, “and so there need to be some conversations about that example.”
Law enforcement, according to Daniel, needs to continue racial bias and de-escalation training, as well as hire and promote more African American police officers into leadership roles.
He also said racism and violence are learned behaviors and encouraged people in majority race populations who are equally offended by injustice against African Americans, to share their opinions with family and friends.
"The way that things are happening right now, we all have to question what can we do to make sure there's real justice and real healing happening in our community,” Daniel said.
