Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo., a day that was marred by violence once again.
As Sunday's violence so sadly illustrates, the year since Brown's death has been an increasingly traumatic time for all Americans, but perhaps for none more than black Americans.
Racism seems very much alive in the nation, from daily slights toward people of color to outright, horrific violence against often defenseless men and women. This continuing onslaught, particularly when it turns violent, leaves a scar on everyone exposed to it, but psychologists differ on the nature of the damage.
Some believe there is such a thing as racial PTSD among minorities. Others acknowledge that racism is traumatizing but say it doesn't quite reach the level of post-traumatic stress disorder among those who don't directly experience racial violence.
As the nation ponders the meaning of Ferguson and all that has happened since, staff writers Ernie Suggs and Kendall Trammell will host a live discussion on AJC websites at noon on Wednesday. In the meantime, you can read their reports from Sunday's Journal-Constitution.
