Weathering the Storm
At one time or another, we have all heard the phrase “Black don’t crack…” It may be a phrase that you have used to describe your beautiful aunt who just turned 65, but looks like she’s in her 40’s. You may have even heard your grandmother offer it as an explanation as to why she is in her 90’s, but does not look a day over 70.
Although “Black don’t crack” is a popular phrase in the African American community and can be used to jokingly explain one of the many benefits to being a melanated goddesses - it is only half-true. Research has shown that by age 49, Black women are 7.5 years “biologically older” than white women. This means that externally, Black women may look well under their government age, but are internally climbing an uphill battle.
Yikes! So how can this be? Let me introduce you to concept of “weathering” my dear friends. Weathering is a term coined by Dr. Arline Geronimus, a public health researcher and professor at the University of Michigan. According to her research examining health disparities among African American women, “Black women are more susceptible to weathering, or the biological wear and tear on one’s body, due to persistent exposure to socioeconomic hardships and race-related stress.” This wear and tear helps to explain how Black women age biologically faster than white women and more prone to develop diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and other chronic illnesses.
I was shocked when I first heard of this concept. I immediately thought about how resilient Black women are and how we can damn near get through anything. We carry the world on our back, raise babies, break records, fight against injustice, cook dinner, write books, and make it to work on time every day. Initially, I thought that weathering was the result of inadequate coping skills or a lack of, but it is actually the opposite. Weathering, or biological wear and tear on our bodies, can also be the result of “high-effort” coping. In other words, although our resiliency and steadfastness gets us through difficult times, it becomes detrimental when we have to use our internal resources to cope with persistent psychosocial stress.
Think of it like this. Let’s say you have two pairs of the same Louboutin shoes, one white pair and a black pair of “red bottoms. You wear the black pumps more often because they compliment more of your outfits. You notice that the signature red bottoms are beginning to fade (weathering) because you wear these shoes in the rain sleet and snow (constant exposure to racial, occupational, financial, or gender-related stress). You wear your white Louboutin pumps just as often, but typically it is during nice weather and you are mostly getting in and out of cars (privilege) so the red bottoms are still in-tact.
In an effort to stop the red from fading, you put a protective shoe guard on the bottom of the black pump (resiliency) and you continue to wear the shoes through rain, sleet and snow (high effort coping). Although you have that guard on the bottom of your shoe, the conditions that you wear them in are still the same and eventually that guard will start to deteriorate and become less effective. Meanwhile, your white shoes are being preserved because 1. they are being worn less (less exposure to systematic racism or other psychosocial stressors) and 2. are only being worn from one building to another during ideal weather conditions (privilege).
Despite both pairs being well over $1200 and made of the same expensive material, it is evident that they experience the world differently.
If you are a Black woman reading this, you may be feeling a sense of anxiousness, fear, or even helplessness. You may also feel a sense of motivation to make changes in your life or feel empowered to think about things differently. Just remember that although you can’t change systematic injustices in one day, you can begin to intentionally implement healthy practices in your daily life. This wouldn’t be a TRUE Space blog post without including some practical suggestions that you can practice order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Tips to help you weather the storm
1). Get regular check-ups to help manage any health-related concerns that may be caused by, or maintained due to weathering
2). Allow others to carry the load at time. I know that you are capable of doing it all; however, if you don’t have to, then give yourself permission to lighten the load. Seek out support from others when you can.
3). Show yourself constant compassion and engage in regular self-care practices
4). See a therapist to help deal with the psychological consequences of weathering
5). Built a strong network of supportive people to lean on during difficult times in your life or to help get you through difficult sociopolitical climates