Systemic racism might be hard to perceive without perspective. To our guest, Ingrid Waldron, growing up in Montreal in a multicultural environment, racism was being called the n-word at school or eventually suffering physical abuse for being Black. It wasn't until her parents took her to Trinidad, where they were originally from, and she got in touch with a dominant Black society, that she discovered the existence of a more profound, more ingrained racism. After five years in Trinidad, living in Canada had a completely different meaning for her.

Ingrid Waldron is the Professor & HOPE Chair in Peace & Health in the Global Peace and Social Justice Programme at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of The Environmental Noxiousness, Racial Inequities & Community Health Project (the ENRICH Project). Ingrid is also de the Co-founder and Co-Director of The Canadian Coalition for Environmental and Climate Justice and Co-Founder and Board Member of the Rural Water Watch Association.

She also co-produced the Netflix documentary "There is something in the water" based on her book with the same name.

Our conversation revolved around the adverse effects of racism on our psychological and physical health. We delve into the social determinants of health caused by racism in Canada and its link with high-stress levels and chronic diseases. Ingrid shared bits of her past, her first experiences with racism, and the sad discovery of systemic and environmental racism. We also talk about a tendency among Black people to be more open about mental health issues caused by racism, some of the things she learned in her extensive work in the subject, the increase of Black scholars talking about it, and much more.

Tune in to episode 2, and learn about the devastating effects of racism on our mental health. 

Some Questions I Ask:

Who were you growing up? How was Ingrid like as a little girl? (3:28)

As a girl, did you experience this realization about race when you were a child? (5:53)

Could you talk about the impacts of racism on mental health and how we are showing up because of that devastation? (25:04)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Ingrid's life-changing experience in Trinidad (6:53)

Racism is very effective in making Black people believe there is something wrong with them (8:37)

The time Ingrid experienced systemic racism in a way she never had before (17:57)

About Ingrid's first contact with the effects of racism on mental health (23:37)

About one of the most devastating effects on mental health for Black women today (47:51)

Resources:

The ENRICH Project website

Book: There's Something In The Water

https://womenforahealthyenvironment.org/

https://www.kingsleyassociation.org/

Film: There's Something in the Water

Connect with Ingrid:

LinkedIn

Let's Connect:

Website

LinkedIn

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