>> DAUNTE WRIGHT.
>> DEMONSTRATIONS THROUGH THE
WEEK OVER ANOTHER BLACK MAN SHOT
AND KILLED BY A POLICE OFFICER
IN A MINNEAPOLIS SUBURB, THE
SAME WEEK TESTIMONY IN THE
CRIMINAL TRIAL OF DEREK CHAUVIN
WRAPPED UP, AFTER WEEKS OF
EVIDENCE, INCLUDING THE REPEATED
REPLAY OF VIDEO DETAILING THE
DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD, WHO
SUCCUMBED AFTER THE POLICE
OFFICER HELD HIM DOWN WITH HIS
KNEE.
HOW TRIGGERING ARE THESE EVENTS?
HOW OPPRESSIVE IS THE FEELING
THAT BLACK LIVES DON'T MATTER?
WE CHECK IN WITH DR. ALVIN
THOMAS, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF
MEDICINE AT THE SCHOOL HUMAN
ECOLOGY GLMENT THANK
ECOLOGY.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> HOW ARE THE CHAUVIN TRIAL AND
KILLING OF DAUNTE WRIGHT
AFFECTING THE HEALTH OF BLACK
MEN AND BOYS IN PARTICULAR RIGHT
NOW?
>> I THINK YOU PUT YOUR FINGER
ON THE PULSE IN THAT WE'VE HAD
THESE REPEATED EXPERIENCES OF
BLACK DEATH BEING STREAMED INTO
PUBLIC SPACES AND PRIVATE SPACES
FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND WHETHER IT'S GEORGE FLOYD OR
DAUNTE WRIGHT OR COUNTLESS
OTHERS BEFORE AND PROBABLY AFTER
THIS, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THIS
REPEATED EXPOSURE TO IMAGES LIKE
THIS AND IN SOME CASES VIDEO
LIKE THIS AND IN OTHER CASES
JUST HEARING ABOUT IT.
THIS REPEATED EXPOSURE
CONSTITUTES SOME KIND OF
POTENTIAL TRAUMA, IN SOME CASES
DIRECT TRAUMA FOR THE FAMILY
MEMBERS, BUT FOR OTHERS WHO ARE
NOT DIRECTLY RELATED, THAT
EXPERIENCE OF VIE VICARIOUS TRAUMA.
THESE THINGS DIRECTLY AND
INDIRECTLY HAVE VERY STARK
NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR PSYCHE
AND ABILITY TO FUNCTION NORMAL.
>> WE SEE PROTESTS AND
DEMONSTRATIONS OVER WHAT
HAPPENED TO GEORGE FLOYD AND
DAUNTE WRIGHT AND SO MANY
OTHERS.
YOU HAVE SAID, QUOTE, BLACK
PEOPLE ARE CRYING OUT AND
AMERICA IS NOT LISTENING AND NOT
RESPONDING BECAUSE IT HEARS THE
NOISE AND NOT THE PAIN."
WHAT IS THIS DISCONNECT?
>> I THINK THE DISCONNECT IS
OFTEN THAT WE SEE PEOPLE FIRST
AT SOCIAL RULES AND DESIGNATIONS
BEFORE WE SEE THEM AS HUMAN
BEINGS.
AND BECAUSE WE'RE DISCONNECTED
FROM THAT HUMAN CONNECTION, THAT
JOINS ALL OF US, THAT COLLECTIVE
HUMANITY, IT'S A LOT EASIER TO
DISMISS SOMETIMES WHAT'S
HAPPENING WITH ANOTHER
INDIVIDUAL.
THAT SUDDEN LOSS OF INNER SENSE,
THAT SUDDEN CHANGE IN OUR
WORLDVIEW, THAT THE WORD HAS
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL, THAT THE
WORLD IS A PLACE THAT'S FULL OF
PLUF.
LOVE.
THAT IS TRANSFORMED INTO A
WORLDVIEW OF THE WORLD AS AN
UNSAFE, SCARY, DANGEROUS,
UNPREDICTABLE SPACE.
>> SOME DECRY THE PROPERTY
DESTRUCTION OF PROTESTS.
BUT IS THAT EXPRESSION OF ANGER
AMONG THOSE PROTESTING WRONG?
>> I THINK WE GET INTO A WEDGE
IECE WHEN WE START TO LEGISLATE
WRONG AND RIGHT WITH REGARD TO
AN INDIVIDUAL'S RIGHT TO ATTEMPT
SOMETHING THAT'S NOT BEING
HEARD.
IF I BRING IT BACK TO JUST HOW A
CHILD WOULD REACT, FOR INSTANCE,
IF A CHILD IS REACTING TO
SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING
INSIDE OF THEM OR SOME PERCEIVED
MISMATCH BETWEEN THE NEEDS THAT
THEY HAVE AND THE SOCIETY OR THE
FAMILY'S ATTEMPT TO MEET THOSE
NEEDS, IF THAT MISMATCH
CONTINUES TO GO ON AND THE CHILD
IS NOT SEEN, THERE'S A
FRUSTRATION IN MEETING THOSE
NEEDS, EVENTUALLY THE INDIVIDUAL
STARTS TO ACT IN DIFFERENT WAYS
TO ATTRACT ATTENTION TO THE
ISSUE.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'M
TALKING ABOUT WHEN I SAY WE HEAR
ABOUT THESE CRIMES, PROTESTS,
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, BUT
UNDERLYING THAT IS THAT CRY THAT
SAYS I AM HUMAN AND YOU'RE NOT
HEARING ME.
>> THE CDC JUST DECLARED RACISM
IS SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT
AND YOU WROTE ONCE AGAIN THAT AS
WE SPEAK THE BLACK COMMUNITY IS
BEING DEVASTATED BY CALF CATASTROPHIC
LOSSES IN A FATAL EPIDEMIC.
HOW OVERWHELMING IS THIS
VULNERABILITY?
>> I THINK THE VULNERABILITY IS
FAR MORE THAN WE ARE SEEING.
I THINK WHAT WE ARE SEEING ARE
THE THINGS THAT ARE ON THE
SCREEN.
IN LINE WITH THE CDC
RECOMMENDATION, THERE WAS A
SIMILAR DECLARATION IN 2019 AND
2020 ADDRESSING A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF THE
PROBLEMATIC RELATIONSHIP THAT
OUR INSTITUTIONS HAVE WITH BLACK
COMMUNITIES.
WHAT WE ARE AREA SEEING, THOUGH, IS A
GROWING AWARENESS OF THE
SYMPTOMS OF THE LARGER ISSUE,
BUT WITHOUT THE DETERMINATION TO
ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING ISSUES,
WHICH IS HISTORICAL AND DEEPLY
ENTRENCHED MARGIN MARGINALIZATION OF
CERTAIN GROUPS, ONE OF THEM
BEING THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
>> WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO
PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL
HEALTH TRIGGERED POINTEDLY RIGHT
NOW?
>> LOOK AT THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU
TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE
SEEING A CHANGE, A DRASTIC
CHANGE IN THEIR BEHAVIOR.
THAT'S THE FIRST SIGN THAT
SOMETHING IS HAPPENING FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL, THAT THEY'RE
HARBORING, THEY'RE DEALING WITH
SOMETHING ON THE INSIDE THAT
THEY CAN'T YET FIND SPACE TO
EXPLORE IT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT A FEW OF
MY COLLEAGUES AND I FROM THE
URBAN LEAGUE OF MADISON AND FROM
REBOUNDS LIKE WELLNESS WITH SOME
MONIES FROM THE WPP PARTNERSHIP
HAVE DONE IS TO DO SOME WORK
SPECIFICALLY WITH BLACK MEN AND
BLACK BOYS, TRYING TO SUPPORT
THEM AND TO ENGAGE IN MENTAL
HEALTH CONVERSATIONS.
AND THAT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE
FIRST STEPS.
GIVING PEOPLE THE SPACE TO BE
ABLE TO SHARE THEIR STORIES,
UNFETTERED AND UNJUDGED AND
SUPPORTED IN SHARING THEIR
STORIES AND GETTING THE SUPPORT
THAT THEY NEED.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE LEAVE IT THERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANKS FOR YOUR