How to Have Open and Honest Conversations About Racism, According to a Psychiatrist

Adrianna Freedman

June 15, 2020 10:41 PM

After the murders of Black Americans including George Floyd , Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, many people are now having conversations about the pervasive issue of systemic racism in our country. Gregory Scott Brown, M.D ., a psychiatrist and member of the Mens Health advisory board, recently chatted with Drew Ramsey, M.D., to discuss how to open the doors for people to engage in such honest and important dialogues about racial injustice.

How to Have Open, Honest Discussions About Racism

Brown says the first thing to do is try and overcome any fears or anxieties you may have when beginning a conversation about racial issues. Ive noticed when it comes to people from different racial backgrounds sitting down and having these conversations, its difficult, said Brown. People are afraid of saying the wrong thing, their story not necessarily resonating with the person theyre speaking toThe biggest way to overcome those fears is to just really get into it and have those conversations.

Is there a specific way to get the ball rolling and open the floor for a dialogue? Yes, said Brown. Its to ask those open-ended questions about how your peers think about recent events. Take the time to talk with your white peers about it and share your views.

Brown says it's crucial to remember that racism also impacts more than any one single community and to remain sensitive of that. We try to take these really complicated issues about race and turn it into an issue of Black and white, Brown continued. We need to understand that this is an issue that affects different types of people, and we need to make sure that were not marginalizing them in this discussion.

If theres anything Brown wants for those to take away from his conversation with Ramsey, its the understanding that people aren't all the dissimilarand that alone could be used as a foundation for having these essential conversations. Whats important to realize is that people at our core, I think our values are essentially the same, Brown said. We want to have a good life. We want the next generation to live a better life than we live. No one wants people to stare at them or profile them in public, regardless of what they look like. And we want decency and respect.

Adrianna Freedman