Symposia
Culture / Ethnicity / Race
Christin A. Mujica, M.A.
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Taylen Day, .
Undergraduate Student
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Evan Hinchliffe, .
Undergraduate Student
University of Arkansas
Faytteville, Arkansas
Ana J. Bridges, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Background: Acting critically against anti-Black racism can prevent racial trauma. However, activism and fighting for structural change, especially in Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs), can also increase experiences of interpersonal discrimination, rejection, burnout, and isolation which in turn relate to negative mental health outcomes. This places People of Color (POC) activists in a challenging position: while on one hand, activism to dismantle racism is meaningful and may promote resilience, on the other hand, it can expose people to more racial trauma, discrimination, and exclusion. How POC activists work to dismantle structural racism balance risk and resilience is poorly understood.
Methods: The present study uses interview data from 12 POC activists (students, staff, and faculty) at a mid-Southern PWI. Through thematic analysis, we describe the ways in which POC who are working to dismantle racism in institutions of higher education attempt to protect their mental health and what efforts institutions make (or can make) to promote resiliency in these leaders.
Results: The 12 interviews highlighted 11overarching themes that indicated personal (5 themes) and institutional (6 themes) methods POC activists indicate may be protective of their mental health and well-being. The 5 personal themes were: (1) infusing personal and occupational, (2) clear boundaries between personal and occupational, (3) reflective/introspective, (4) active recreation/distraction, (5) self-disclosure and social support. There 6 overarching themes that indicated methods and practices institutions can introduce to support POC activists were: (1) mental health support, (2) action over allyship, (3) outward-facing advocacy, (4) least-assimilative environment, (5) building capacity and workforce development, (6) coalition building.
Conclusions: The findings of this qualitative study highlight that personal strategies are important but not sufficient to prevent burnout and other negative mental health outcomes. It also provides clear indications that institutions can do more to protect the mental health of POC racial justice activists. Finally, we provide suggestions for institutional policies and practices that may lead to higher retention and overall, less burnout of POC students, faculty, and staff.