What is racial fatigue and how can colleges combat it?

Six tips and three questions to help every college in its efforts to create safe and inclusive environments for ethnically diverse staff

Six tips and three questions to help every college in its efforts to create safe and inclusive environments for ethnically diverse staff

2 Dec 2024, 5:00

Most of us are familiar with the term racism, but how many of us are aware of racial fatigue? The idea refers to the emotional and psychological toll experienced by individuals who face racism and discrimination throughout their lives – personal and professional.

Racial fatigue is not just about isolated incidents, but rather the ongoing exposure to systemic racism, microaggressions and bias. This chronic exposure can lead to feelings of exhaustion, frustration and even trauma.

Dr. Rita Kohli’s book, Teachers of Color: Resisting Racism and Reclaiming Education explores how culturally diverse teachers continue to face negative racial experiences daily – experiences that mirror the racial trauma they endured as children.

This doesn’t just come from students but from colleagues as well, exacerbating their racial stress and increasing what is known as ‘racial battle fatigue’, a term first coined by Professor William A. Smith in 2003.

It is important to understand that racism often affects individuals from childhood through to adulthood. Experiences of racism during formative years can shape one’s perception of self-worth, belonging and potential.

Staff who experienced racism when they were younger may find themselves facing the same issues repeatedly as they enter education or the workforce.

There are many different types of racist behaviour and attitudes in the workplace. These include microaggressions, code-switching, being overlooked for jobs (despite being more than qualified), being excluded from key conversations, being treated ruthlessly or unfairly when mistakes are made (compared to other colleagues), and being invisible when things go right and yet hyper-visible when things go wrong.

Cumulatively, any number of these can lead to racial battle fatigue, whereby staff invest a significant amount of time and energy into thinking about and dealing with racism.

In turn, this can manifest itself in a wide range of negative reactions and emotions including hypervigilance (sometimes called the “superhero syndrome”), lowered aspirations, self-censorship, isolation, social withdrawal, exhaustion, anxiety, frustration, anger or anger suppression, helplessness, hopelessness and depression.

It is essential to acknowledge the lifelong burden that racism imposes on ethnically diverse individuals so that we can create a safe and inclusive environment that recognises and addresses their negative lived experiences.

Here are some tips for how to do exactly that.

Education and awareness

Provide cultural awareness and anti-racism training to all staff to promote understanding of  and empathy towards different experiences and perspectives. Senior leaders should take this seriously and role-model inclusive behaviour in their communication with staff and students.

Open dialogue

Encourage open and honest conversations about race, racism and discrimination, creating a safe space for employees to share their experiences and concerns without fear of repercussions.

Support networks

Establish employee resource groups or affinity networks to provide a sense of community and support for ethnically diverse staff, and safe spaces for students.

Review policies and practices

Regularly assess and update policies to ensure they are inclusive and free from bias, promoting equal opportunities for all employees and students. (Compliance does not always translate into a culture of psychological safety.)

Mentorship and sponsorship

Encourage programmes that support the career growth and development of ethnically diverse employees. Also consider reverse mentoring to enhance leaders’ personal understanding of these issues.

Celebrate diversity

Recognising and mark cultural events and holidays to foster a sense of belonging and appreciation for different backgrounds. This should be done sincerely, not just by publicising certain groups during specific times (like Black History Month) but throughout the year as an ongoing process.

In addition, Dr Kohli provides the following useful list of questions for managers and leaders to consider:

  1. What kinds of contributions are you expecting from teachers of colour, and how do those expectations differ from your expectations for white teachers?
  2. How do you communicate your trust and value of teachers of colour? Do you listen to their insights and understandings?
  3. How do you invest in the growth, leadership and vision of teachers of colour? Do you (materially) recognise their unique assets and strengths through compensation, in formal evaluations and in leadership opportunities?

By understanding the manifestations of racial fatigue and implementing inclusive practices, managers can actively combat it and create an environment where all students and employees feel valued, supported and empowered.

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