“Racelighting” and Its Psychological Impact on BIPOC

The term “gaslighting” is widely established in everyday discourse, describing the psychological manipulation and distortion of one’s reality by another. Countless examples exist. The effect of gaslighting distorts reality—what is real and true—and causes the gaslit individual to question their own sense of what is true. Despite its historical and predominant use to describe a specific psychological experience, its use has been extended in terms of how an institution’s treatment of race can negatively impact a particular community.

What is "Racelighting"?

To begin, "racelighting" relates to a psychological impact on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and this post will focus on the impact of racelighting on BIPOC students. The term is defined by Wood and Harris III (2021) and expanded upon by Wood (2022), and refers to the systematic delivery of inauthentic racialized messages to a community. A key component of racelighting is that the inauthentic messages cause BIPOC individuals to second-guess their actual experiences of racism within that community.

How Educational Institutions Practice Racelighting

In educational settings, administrations are often quick to respond to mass-scale or highly publicized racist incidents with statements about the importance of diversity and inclusion, and administrations frequently use terms consistent with what a good public relations firm would likely recommend. For instance, an administration may indicate its willingness to listen to its BIPOC community or its history of respecting individuals of various identities in a way that is consistent with how the institution wants to present itself to the larger community.

The concept of racelighting calls for institutions, specifically educational ones intended to sustain an open and respectful learning environment, to carefully consider whether issued statements or actions taken are truly authentic and sincere, or whether they may end up engendering a greater sense of disappointment or possibly betrayal by their BIPOC communities. Wood and Hall (2022) address how the racelighting strategy of an institution issuing a statement that simply “checks a box” is harmful and ineffective in inducing the change necessary to create a cohesive community.

Psychological Impact on BIPOC Students

If an educational institution issues statements that it respects the value of those of different identities, or even cites examples of programs in place that offer existing support (read: proof), the experience of racelighting leads to confusion among those of different identities. While the statement suggests a supportive environment, the lived experience of BIPOC students who face discrimination and alienation may indicate a different reality. In this way, Wood and Hall (2022) explore how the disconnect causes BIPOC students to second-guess their own emotional experiences.

Promoting Positive Change

In order to promote a more positive experience for BIPOC students, the authors recommend proposing truly meaningful and sustainable ongoing initiatives and providing specific details about the resources that will sustain any new initiative. Initiatives that require collaboration between students, staff, and faculty can be effective as each group has unique strengths to offer.

In addition, taking an honest inventory of the ways in which the given institution may have failed its BIPOC community is crucial. The administrators of institutions getting further educated about racelighting and some of the complex ways institutions can unwittingly engage in the harmful practice can prevent future similar harmful practices.

The Role of Student Health Centers

In terms of supporting the mental health of a BIPOC community impacted by the effects of racelighting, student health centers within a given institution can play a pivotal role in emotional repair and positive change. Specifically, these health centers can allow students to process and heal from racial incidents and tensions that impact them.

Within an educational institution, significant financial resources must exist to fund mental health service delivery in student health centers. As a part of the work of those centers, both campus-wide mental health workshops and individual services should be accessible and marketed to the BIPOC community.

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On a clinical level, it's imperative that clinicians in health centers receive ongoing training in cultural competencies, with particular emphasis on the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In therapy sessions, therapists should openly verbalize to their BIPOC students that the therapy room is a safe space in which to disclose their most raw feelings about race. Students should be told that the space is available for them to talk about local racialized incidents or those publicized in the media as they occur, but they should avoid being forceful or pushing a student to discuss a complex, upsetting issue if they are not ready or interested in doing so in the therapy room. Finally, a positive practice that validates the unique experience of a BIPOC individual is for the clinician to ask specifically if there is anything they can do or avoid doing to make them feel safe and heard in the room.

The effects of racelighting can be profound but, with careful attention to repair and healing, institutions can make sincere efforts to do better.