The Cost of Racism for People of Color: Contextualizing Experiences of Discrimination

Social psychologists have long been interested in the perpetrators — historical, ideological, and individual — of racist beliefs and behaviors. But researchers have spent far less time investigating the experiences of the targets of racism.

What are the effects — every day and long-term, physical and psychological — for people targeted by racist acts and ideologies? And what can practitioners do to help individuals, institutions, and communities mitigate and overcome these effects?

In this book, leading scholars examine the felt experience of being the target of racism, with a focus on mental and physical health — as the result of particular racist encounters as well as across the lifespan — in addition to group contexts such as education and the workforce.

Authors examine the subtle but persistent links between everyday microaggressions and historical racial trauma, and offer practical tools to assess and measure perceived racial discrimination. They describe compelling new interventions for individuals and communities, and offer social policy prescriptions to promote healing and help dismantle institutional discrimination.

With its skillful synthesis of voices and approaches, this work should appeal to a broad range of scholars and practitioners in clinical psychology, as well as ethnic studies, sociology, and public and allied health.