His team studied 63 archaeological sites and found proof of economic inequality even in the lost civilizations. It showed patterns that mirror what our society has now. Those in the position of privilege, beget more wealth and power, while those who are not, need to strive twice as hard. And even then, the reward usually does not match up to the effort they have put in.

Tim Kohler further shared that unequal societies tend to have poorer health, while societies with less discrimination tend to have longer life expectancies. This would make sense if you think about the effort and the stress people of color have to deal with on a daily basis. The working industry is one aspect that we can look at. This industry is already competitive enough, without the added burden of discrimination weighing on their backs.

But research from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) showed that a person’s race is the third most commonly discriminated against factor in the workplace. Anxiety.org shared various forms of racism; ranging from verbal slurs, physical assault, isolation, and denial of provisions and/or opportunities.

Microaggression is another act that assumes a person is guilty of wrongdoing just because of their race. This can also include the lack of representation in essential positions, and invalidation of the severity of racism in society.

National polls showed that 88% of Black Americans experience racism in the US and 87% considers racism as a “serious problem”. This situation could invoke feelings of escape or liberation. Kohler supported this by stating that eliminating inequality can be extremely difficult and usually ends up in a revolution or state collapse, which is what we are seeing right now.

About 1 in 4 Black Americans experience anxiety disorder at one point. The most common is social anxiety disorder, followed by generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Despite this, it was reported that they rarely seek or continue mental health treatment.

To expound, anxiety is usually brought about by one or a combination of the following factors.

Loss of Control

One of the basic lessons parents usually teach their children is that if you do good, then you will be rewarded. And if you do something bad, you will be punished. This is classical conditioning, that teaches them to behave as parents expect them to. However, individuals who suffer from racism have technically done nothing wrong, and yet they receive repetitive and unpredictable attacks. It is a horrible feeling of complete helplessness to be punished for something you know you did not do. This is a feeling that they experience everytime they find themselves on the end of racial discrimination.

Negative Self Image

People of color are constantly reminded, not without condescension, that they look different. Other people’s words and actions may or may not be intended, but even to a child, these responses will surely give an individual a pretty bad self image. This society has a very specific standard of beauty, and the people who do not “qualify” usually do not get a special treatment that the others have. Especially when they appear to be more skilled in other areas, but are purposefully rejected or not acknowledged since they don’t fit the “standard”.

Invalidation of Feelings

In relation to feelings of inferiority that developed in time, some people eventually get used to not asserting for themselves. Sometimes, they end up reflecting falsely, “If all of them think it, then maybe it is true.” “If they say I’m not good enough, then maybe I am not.” “If they say it’s not a big deal, then maybe I was just overreacting.”

The accumulation of these negative feelings are what eventually pushes them towards the edge of anxiety. As a society that is being shaken up by calls for change, what can we do?