I Don’t See Color: Barriers to Black American Mental Health

Abstract

Understanding historical trauma and “seeing color,” that is, acknowledging a client’s race, is important to adequately address mental health within the Black American community. Whereas many practitioners have tended to embrace the idea of a “colorblind” society, this article explores how it can be harmful for human services practitioners to approach services with Black American clients in a manner that does not address the racial trauma they continue to endure. The term “Black American,” as used for this article, refers to Black American descendants of American slavery. However, Black Americans are not a monolith and there is cultural variation within the population. This article aims to encourage human services practitioners to adjust their approach to Black American and other non-White clients of color in a manner that is culturally sensitive.