MINNEAPOLIS — It may feel like all eyes are on the Derek Chauvin trial and as we await the verdict, but some people are choosing not to watch it all unfold. For some, it has to do with the real health risk that they face.
When KARE 11 normally interviews Zeke McKinney, it's because he's an occupational medicine doctor studying the Astra-Zeneca vaccine.
But on this day, he's speaking out as a Black man struggling to process the that trial.
"I am all those things," said Dr. McKinney. "Angry, frustrated, sad."
Dr. McKinney is choosing not to watch the entire proceeding, saying the video showing Chauvin on top of George Floyd, grieving witnesses and heightened security around town is re-traumatizing.
"I feel it's only raising the tension of what's happening around here rather than allowing us to heal as a community," said Dr. McKinney. "Black and Brown people already have an underlying degree of anxiety knowing what happened to Floyd, in theory, could happen to them."
Primary care physician, Dr. Brooke Cunningham, describes this as vicarious or secondary racism, and says it is a health risk factor. She conducts health equity research and is the Co-Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Thread for the University of Minnesota Medical School's curriculum.
"We know witnessing or seeing someone, particularly someone who looks like you, or even just hearing about it, has an effect on people," said Dr. Cunningham.
She's said it's important people don't re-experience trauma, but admits that's hard – especially in the age of social media.
"It's important for people to witness and spread the word because that's how we learn that these incidents happen, but other people make a deliberate choice to wait, to hold off," said Dr. Cunningham.
As a verdict in this case nears, she four coping strategies including:
- Taking care of your emotional self – like prayer
- Doing body work – like going on a walk
- Attempting social connectedness – using a crisis hotline
- Trying to change society – joining a rally
"I want everyone to know that it's ok to be upset about this and you don't have to feel like you have to watch this," explained Dr. McKinney, who says he plans to look up the verdict once it's announced online. He admits a social media alert will probably beat him to it. "We're only going to do as well as the worst of us are doing."
Dr. McKinney also recommends turning to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). It recently released three pages worth of helpful articles, videos and meditation resources that are available right now that you can find here.
