The last two months have been filled with trauma, continued police violence against Black women and a history-making event. Specifically, Vice President Kamala Harris became the first Black and Asian American woman to accept a major party’s nomination for president. In my previous column in July 2024, I mentioned how, as a Black woman, this was a circus of emotions for me. I was sad, angry, disappointed and hopeful. In the beginning it can seem exciting. However, it’s crucial that we transition away from the pep rally phase. Avoid romanticizing representation in politics and be mindful of the potential pitfalls that may arise from internalizing White supremacy.
This is especially true for Black people in the present moment. A time filled with continued examples of injustice, racism, promises of representation and ongoing genocides. The trauma from this can cause some Black people to quickly align with the oppressors, practice hyper-individualism and internalize White supremacy. Similar behavior has been happening for centuries and has led to common sayings such as, “don’t argue with people ancestor Harriett would of shot” or “all skin folk ain’t kinfolk.” I see this happening now with the loyalty to a two-party system that has continuously failed us, with comprising ourselves out of liberation and the lack of compassion for ongoing genocides. No, I’m not just referring to the genocides in Congo and Palestine, etc. We have genocides occurring here in our communities, with environmental justice, and the institutional racism within the criminal justice system. Managing this can have a negative impact on the growth of collective consciousness, a concept developed by French sociologist Emile Durkheim. Continued exposure to racial trauma can lead to a cycle of collective unconscious regression.
In this process societal norms grow worse, and this leads to mass misinformation. Next, a critical crisis occurs such as a Black person being killed by police on video, and mass activism increases. As a result, slow, superficial change and systematic pivots begin to develop. At times this can look like appointing or electing Black people to political positions and reform policies that only serve as bandits to an already broken system. This cycle repeats itself until our conscious level starts to regress. We then become desensitized to trauma and prioritize “Whiteness” out of fear.
Other tendencies include Black people adopting group thinking and struggling with utilizing the approaches of ancestors like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Recently, I have watched the movement accuse more Black revolutionary activists of creating rifts by not aligning with the majority and disagreeing in public. I challenge this thinking and urge people to resist falling into this narrative. We can openly express disagreement based on principles. Moreover, conflict is a natural and necessary aspect of group evolution. It leads to a principled struggle and development of our collective consciousness.
And no, I’m not suggesting that Black people vote for 45. However, I do acknowledge the influence of racial trauma on Black individuals who may do so. To unlearn these tendencies, we must be in collective study and community with one another. I started this column to bring issues like these to the forefront so we can acknowledge these patterns and avoid repeating the mistakes of our ancestors. And furthermore, to foster a deeper understating of our collective consciousness and make space for more revolutionary forms of organizing within the Black community.
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