He says it’s not just mental, but physical health too.

The Red & Black reports.

“Racism is alive and sick”: visiting scholar presents research on racism and poor health

Recent headlines that read “Racism takes a toll on kid’s mental health, research shows” and “Discrimination is associated with mental health woes in black teens” highlight the ongoing risks caused by racism-related stress on the mental and physical health of African American adolescents and young adults, said Franklin Visiting Scholar Enrique Neblett Jr.

Neblett, an associate professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, presented his research on African American college students and their mental health as they transition into young adults Monday in the Zell B. Miller Learning Center.

His study built on previous evidence that racism is tied with anxiety, depression, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease (among others) and tested what role racism plays in the development of risk factors that cause these diseases.

“When African American youth are going to college and leaving home, their parents are no longer right there,” Neblett said. “Youth are thinking about their identity and may experience race discrimination for the first time. Experiencing racism might lead to compromised health. For example, some students will cope by eating fatty snacks.”
Neblett’s study was conducted on a sample of African American students, more than half of them female, all mostly healthy and around the age of 21.