Racism is a generational obstacle that is still affecting Black Americans today. Black people have persevered through this obstacle, but the encounters of discrimination and harm have taken a toll on people. One group under this umbrella who isn’t considered enough regarding racism’s toll is young Black boys. Young men are often told to man up and get over it when it comes to pain and discomfort. In regards to racism, studies have shown that they have either acted out or internalized it when they have been exposed to it.Dr. Assaf Oshri is a College of Family and Consumer Sciences professor at the University of Georgia. He is the lead author of the report about racism’s toll on young Black boys. He shares how racism has led to increased rates of depression in Black youth and illustrates why now is the time to step in for their mental health.“I’m very interested in the emotional well-being of our youth. I think stressors that come from the environment, including cultural stress, discrimination, and socioeconomic stress, accumulate. It becomes chronic and has implications on how we develop,” said Dr. Assaf Oshri,   a developmental psychologist and director of the Georgia Center for Developmental Science at the University of Georgia.“The youth is our future, and this is when you can target, intervene, and help. You don’t do it when somebody already has mental health issues or finds himself in jail and then put the blame on them,” said Dr. Oshri.The University of Georgia released the report in June 2024. Dr. Oshri co-authored the study with Dr. Sierra Carter of Georgia State University. Researchers collected data from 1500 young men over three years. The young men’s responses to feeling mistreated or unaccepted because of their race were measured by Dr. Oshri and company.The results uncovered the youth have been internalizing and externalizing their emotions. Dr. Oshir explains that internalizing involves withholding their feelings, which leads to depression and anxiety. Externalizing deals with expressing their emotions, which can resemble aggression, acting out, and other forms of delinquency.“I’m aware that cultural stress has dire consequences. We have hard evidence that we have something that we need to pay attention to. I want to study and document the mechanism of this stress so I can help prevent it,” said Dr. Oshri.The UGA professor depicts the psychological effects happening inside the youth’s mind. A part of the brain called the amygdala detects threats and regulates emotions. According to Dr. Oshir, the data from the study reveals the amygdala of young Black boys shuts down when they are faced with these negative images of racism.This shutdown causes the youth to internalize these emotions. The research shows that the suppression of brain activation in that area was correlated to less problematic behavior in the boys. On the other hand, High activity of the amygdala during exposure to negative racial experiences saw problematic behaviors. Both sides take an emotional toll on the youth.Dr. Oshir suggested talking to children is a way to combat the problem. He elaborates that asking how they feel emotionally can make a difference. For the young boys who internalize the pain, some signs parents can be aware of are withdrawal, quietness, anxiety, feeling sad, and depression. A follow-up step is to prepare them for potential racial bias they may encounter. Dr. Oshir shares that parents who teach their children to be proud of being black can guard against some of the harmful effects of racism.Young Black boys do not have to bear the emotional toll of racism alone. If people step in and support them and provide a space for them to express their feelings when they experience it. We can have a lot more emotionally healthy child around us. Dr. Oshir encourages everyone to take this matter seriously, or it can grow into a more significant problem for everyone.“We are all paying for the cultural assault our kids are experiencing. We’re paying it emotionally in terms of the family and the community. We will pay for it financially because people who experience mental health stress will eventually have to treat it. That will have financial consequences for society,” said Dr. Oshir.The post Racism’s toll on young Black boys: A call to action for mental health appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.