Jas M. Sullivan | The Enduring Shadow of Racism: Investigating Race-Based Traumatic Stress in African Americans

Institute of Personality and Social Research Colloquium

For over 400 years, racial discrimination has profoundly shaped the lives of African Americans, leaving a lasting impact on their mental, emotional, and social well-being. Much of the empirical research on racial discrimination has focused on frequency—how often discrimination occurs. However, clinical psychologists have developed measures to examine a different dimension of racial discrimination—the symptoms that arise from experiencing racial discrimination. Their findings reveal that these symptoms closely resemble those associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), though with some distinct differences. Recognizing both the similarities and unique aspects of racial discrimination-related stress, scholars have introduced the concept of race-based traumatic stress (RBTS). This framework captures the psychological consequences of racial discrimination. Drawing on data from the African American Social Connectedness Survey, this presentation will share findings from several studies. The survey includes a national sample of 3,000 African Americans and was conducted by YouGov and Ipsos. I will examine whether racial centrality and social connectedness are associated with lower levels of race-based traumatic stress and highlight the associations between race-based traumatic stress and political beliefs and behaviors. In the end, the results underscore the importance of examining the effects of racism beyond its frequency, highlighting the clinical-level consequences of racism for African Americans.

Dr. Sullivan is a professor of political science, psychology, and African and African American Studies at Louisiana State University. Currently, he is a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. His research explores racial identity, coping, and racial trauma, and how these factors shape political and social outcomes. He is the author of African American Coping in the Political Sphere and Dimensions of Blackness: Racial Identity and Political Beliefs.