Earliest experiences or realizations of systemic racism
The following questions are primarily for Black folks, though others are also welcome to speak to their experiences insofar as they are relevant to the topic at hand.
Feel free to respond to as many or as few of them as you want, pose a different question, or answer a question that hasn't already been asked.
- When was the first realization, or set of realizations, you had regarding systemic racism and how it impacted you personally? This doesn't have to be a set moment in time, but I'm curious about early inklings people have had regarding inadequate support systems and racially disproportionate harm.
- What support systems, if any, were around you to make sense of and process that realization? Were they already part of your environment, or did you have to build your own support structures yourself?
- Is there anyone here who has CPTSD NOT because of family/caregiver abuse and neglect, but because of racism experienced at school and other settings away from home? How helpful were family members/friends/neighbors in buffering and/or countering those experiences?
Posted Oct 14, 2025, 12:58 PM UTC
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