© Meclina Gomes Priestley

Personal

Weaponized fatigue

At the personal level, racism takes the form of intense, deeply felt, continual dysregulation from living the impacts of policy, institutional and community racism. It is the existential drag on mental and emotional energy from being made to represent one's race. When this kind of racism is at its most effective, it can mean destruction of hope.

Weaponized fatigue can look like:

  • Cognitive overload and ingrained lies
  • Doubt in self
  • Exhaustion
  • Dehumanization

“This is where fatigue sets in, dreams die and the work doesn't move forward. Fatigue is a barrier to change.” —Design team member

Examples:

Big Mouth: Code Switching

GQ: AOC’s Fight For The Future

The Shop: Uninterrupted

Spotlight: Boston. Racism. Image. Reality.