In a country built on ideals of freedom and equality, the reality has often been different for Black and POC communities. While many Americans consider rights like voting, fair representation, and equal protection basic privileges, these rights have often been denied or delayed, secured only through relentless struggle by those on the margins. For generations, Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color have faced systemic barriers designed to keep them out. Though progress has been made, the weight of historical oppression still shapes their experiences. Election seasons especially highlight the cracks in our democracy, reminding us just how far we still have to go.
The journey toward voting rights in America has been anything but easy for Black and marginalized communities. For centuries, laws and policies were crafted to keep people of color out of the political process, building a system that favored white citizens while silencing others. After the Civil War, the 15th Amendment was supposed to give Black men the right to vote, but any progress was quickly undermined by discriminatory practices in the South. Poll taxes, literacy tests, and other barriers were set up to prevent Black citizens and people of color from voting. It would take generations of activism to even begin to break down these barriers.
The Civil Rights Movement in the 50s and 60s marked a turning point. Through tireless protests and the courage of leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the movement exposed the deep injustices in America’s voting system. This fight led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed racial discrimination in voting and provided federal oversight in areas notorious for suppression. It was a major step forward but came at great personal sacrifice for those who fought to make our democracy more inclusive. Yet, here we are today, still facing many of the same challenges.
Modern voter suppression tactics still target communities of color, using restrictive voter ID laws, limited polling locations, and purges of voter rolls. These tactics are just updated versions of old barriers, reminding us that despite decades of progress, Black and POC communities continue to face obstacles in voting that white Americans rarely encounter. Still, these communities persist, showing resilience as they fight for a democracy meant to serve everyone.
Even with the right to vote, the stress and anxiety our ancestors faced still linger within us today. As we approach each election, we’re reminded that many of the same injustices our ancestors fought against are still present. The worry that our voices could be silenced, that our rights could be stripped away, and that our struggles could be erased is a feeling deeply rooted in our collective experience. The emotional toll of carrying this weight, combined with the fear that progress could be lost, creates a level of stress that feels almost inherited. It’s a kind of historical trauma that we carry forward, even as we continue fighting for a better future.
As the 2024 election season draws to a close, I spoke with Black and POC students and full-time workers to understand how the presidential race and political climate impact their mental health. These conversations reveal shared feelings of frustration, anxiety, and determination – a reminder that while the fight for equality goes on, so does the resilience of these communities. All names have been changed to protect the identities of those who shared their stories, as we live in a society where POC voices, even today, can face consequences for speaking out. These messages deserve to be heard, whether names are attached or not, as a testament to the ongoing struggle and resilience of Black and POC communities.
Can you describe how you felt when the election results were announced, and what emotions have lingered since?
Ashley: “I’ve been stressed and pretty upset.”
Jade: “I went to bed soon after Trump’s speech to the nation – just knowing when I woke up, he would be president. And sure enough when I woke up, a convicted felon and all around fascists was ‘my’ 47th president of the United States. Immediately I laid back down and closed my eyes just in denial. I looked through various news articles that were reporting the live voting and they all said the same thing. The AP called it because Donald Trump was the President and Kamala had lost. It’s been two days since then, and that feeling of denial is still there, but there’s also a feeling of confusion. What am I not seeing that millions of Americans saw in him? How is it possible for such an incompetent man to convince so many people twice that he is capable of running this country.”
Molly (an international student in Korea): “The results felt like it took forever to come together. I was in class feeling stressed and scared for the outcome. The fellow American students at Yonsei University (in Korea) were all feeling the pressure – but as the results came out, I felt complete numbness.”
Ellie: “I remember feeling disappointed and shocked, but mostly numb. I expected myself to have a larger reaction, but I simply just couldn’t. I remember laughing about it with a friend just out of pure disbelief that our country could make such a decision so stupid, purely based on racism and sexism. The numbness is definitely still lingering a few days after. I’m mostly trying to distract myself as well as I can by spending time with friends, digging deeper into my studies, and doing hobbies that I like.”
Meow: “I felt anger, sadness, and hopelessness.”
First Time Voter: “As the votes started, I was hopeful since this is the first election I’ve been able to vote in. But once it was announced officially who the new president would be, I felt like everything I have done and everything my parents have done was for nothing. The only way I can describe it as – is as if I’m empty now.”
Blue Violet: “I was on FaceTime with my sister watching the live updates for hours. Once Georgia’s results were updated, I immediately felt sick to my stomach. I haven’t felt my heart drop like that in a long time. It’s almost like I could feel my rights ripped out of me and my body. I’m still shocked, disappointed, sad, and angry. It’s been such a gloomy day.”
Pretty In Pink: “Honestly, I can’t say that I’m surprised by these results – which is really sad to say. Rather, I just felt really disappointed, and still am, in America and the world that we’re living in right now.”
S: “I felt really shocked, but not surprised. The way America is built is based on corruption. I knew there was something wrong with the election. I still have hope and that they’re still counting more ballots.”
Have you noticed any immediate changes in the attitudes and behaviors of those around you since the results came out? If so, could you describe them?
S: “The people are hurt, scared, and angry. It all just feels so dystopian that there’s a possibility we have to endure another four years with that devil in the office.”
Jade: “On the morning of, my boss texted that she was bringing in sweets in case anyone needed a pick-me-up and other people have made similar gestures. But the most disheartening of all was my father. Despite having a Black daughter who would face all the negative consequences of Donald Trump being voted in, he continued to double down on how good of a president he would be. Despite my entire livelihood being threatened, he insists that I’m fear mongering. And that is something I will have to deal with for the rest of my life because of this election.”
Pretty In Pink: “I feel like there’s this looming dread around a lot of my peers and friends because none of us are really sure about what’s next for any of us.”
Ellie: “I’ve noticed that the white men on my campus are acting far more bold with their racism and sexism. My campus is majority Harris voters, so overall I feel somewhat safe, but there has been a sharp uptick in how white male students speak to me. It feels almost taunting – like they find the disappointment amusing.”
Meow: “My brothers have been a little more aggressive towards me.”
Blue Violet: “My close friends were all rooting for Kamala’s election. I think there is a great despondency among us as we mourn the loss of millions of futures. I have friends already actively researching visas for foreign countries. It’s genuinely heartbreaking. I live in a dorm with suitemates. One of them is very pro-MAGA, and her enthusiasm towards Trump’s reelection, despite being a POC immigrant woman, is disheartening. There is definitely tension between me and similar people who, if it were up to me, I would cut off from my life permanently. On another note, I’m also disappointed by some other friends’ responses, or lack thereof, to the impending doom of our country. My friend just sent me a story time reel of someone spotting a musical artist we both like at a restaurant. Girl… this is not the time. My friends could get put in detention camps and you have the audacity to be jealous of a random fan right now? Time and place.”
Ashley: “The people around me have also been really upset as well.”
How have the 2024 elections impacted your sense of safety, either on campus, at work, or just in everyday life?
Ashley: “ I actually don’t feel that safe anymore. Trump supporters are actually scary.”
S: “As a Black person from the South, I will admit that I’m in fear of my life. There’s Trump signs, his supporters wearing his merch, and spreading propaganda. We literally have no one to help back us up as they’re the ones who voted him in office, but they swear it’s not about race.”
Jade: “My mental health has been impacted the most. I often feel like my daily routine will have no effect on my life and it’s all in vain. I have never felt completely safe in these areas, but it’s even worse now knowing I’m surrounded by people who echo his rhetoric.”
Blue Violet: “As I am currently attending university far from home, it’s been harder to find people to lean on. Despite being at a largely Liberal school, I feel distrustful towards my classmates and acquaintances. I would never be able to know if the seemingly-friendly person sitting next to me voted against my rights a day ago. My school has no enclosed campus, so I had already felt a lack of community here. Now, that feeling has increased exponentially. I feel so disconnected.”
Ellie: “For right now, I know I’m safe. I’m extremely thankful to have the privilege to go to school and live in California where I know my state leaders will go to bat for my rights and act in my best interest. However, I’m still very nervous to see how the majority of this country agrees with Trump and his views on people like me. I’ve definitely been more closed off to people now and very cautious when I’m in public.”
First Time Voter: “I feel as if I no longer have a voice since I’m a Mexican-American first generation and I work next to the Capitol (Austin). It feels as if now I’m a target for people.”
Pretty In Pink: “I feel like I have to be really careful about the things I do and say now, especially as a female and POC. I know Texas is a red state, but after this election, I feel like not aligning with Republican ideals can get me in trouble if I ‘say the wrong thing.’”
How do you envision the next few years for yourself and other POC individuals in this country, given the current political climate?
Pretty In Pink: “I imagine these next couple of years will be really uncertain for me. I don’t know which changes and policies may be put in place in the next four years and how they’ll affect me for the rest of college and into the future, which is scary knowing that the future is so uncertain.”
Ellie: “I think we’re going to have to do a lot of organizing and banding together to get through the next 4 years. We are going to have more harmful stereotypes created about us, we are going to be singled out, and we are going to have to fight hard for the respect we deserve. It’s a disappointing reality, but I’ve found that it’s fueled me to want to work harder in my studies to earn and demand the respect I deserve.”
Meow: “We are going to rot.”
First Time Voter: “It feels as if everything will be set back 60 years; all the changes we’ve made and progressed are on the verge of being taken away again.”
Jade: “I imagine it will be so inconceivably frustrating that I cannot put them into words. If you look around online or in real life, the effects are already taking place.”
Blue Violet: “It’s scary to envision the next years living in this country. Project 2025 is already in action as we speak. I fear for my friends, I fear for my family, and I fear for all POCs. As a daughter of immigrants, with friends who are mostly either immigrants themselves or children of immigrants, I am devastated for all those who sacrificed everything with the hopes of giving their children better futures just for our neighbors to vote to put our futures in the hands of a criminal.”
Ashley: “I think it’ll be like going through living hell, especially now. Because I’m an adult, the policies will affect me even more.”
In what ways, if any, has your mental health been impacted by the election results and the atmosphere surrounding them?
Pretty In Pink: “Honestly, my mental health hasn’t really changed, but I feel like it’s because it hasn’t really hit me yet. Like, I physically can’t process how much America is most likely going to change in the next four years.”
Ellie: “I’ve been able to preserve my mental health somewhat well over the past 48 hours. What I’ve mainly been telling myself is that this situation is now completely out of my hands. I cannot control or stop what this man plans to do to me or my people, so I will not give him or his supporters the satisfaction of seeing me fall apart. Trump gains his power off lies, fear, and hysteria. I will not give him any more power that he does not deserve. I’ve been spending time with friends, playing games, journaling, listening to music, and focusing on what makes me happy.”
Meow: “Yes it’s been so bad lately, and I don’t know who to talk to about it.”
First Time Voter: “It has completely gone downhill. There’s a constant feeling of anxiety and depression on what the future holds for us.”
Jade: “I touched on it previously, but it’s hard to have a positive outlook. I can only put hope in my efforts to help people that are in need of help and continue to raise alarm bells in my community.”
Ashley: “ I’ve been a lot more anxious since the results were called.”
Molly (an international student in Korea): “My mental health has been affected because people I might have once cared about voted against me. There are also some tensions within my family about certain beliefs; for example, abortion rights which I care deeply about.”
What specific policies or issues from this election do you feel will have the biggest impact on POC communities?
Pretty In Pink: “I’m really scared to see how Trump’s changes to higher education will affect the POC community. A lot of minorities already struggle with trying to receive higher education, so I’m scared of how much harder it’s going to be if Trump goes through with getting rid of the Department of Education.”
Ellie: “I’m especially concerned with how he wants to disband the Department of Education. Education has been a right that POC have had to fight tirelessly for and is something we still aren’t given. I’m concerned to see how he plans to erase our history and feed into the preexisting structures of white supremacy. I’m worried that our youth will begin to think less of themselves and believe that they aren’t worthy of the lives they deserve.”
Meow: “Immigration.”
First Time Voter: “There’s a lot, but to start off, I think deportation is one that will affect many people here. With taxes, there are a lot of POC that are low income and with him back in office and wanting to raise tariffs, it will affect the lower classes immediately.”
Blue Violet: “Many POC friends (and myself) come from low-income, immigrant families. Growing up, I already witnessed enough of my loved ones suffering from unfair job loss. Just a few years ago, my aunt lost her job and it almost ruined her children’s chances of going to college to get the education they deserved. I can’t imagine how much worse it’s about to get for thousands of families.”
Jade: “For me and my colleagues it’s the Department of Education being touched. It scares me the most.”
Have the election results influenced or changed any personal or career goals you had? If so, how?
Pretty In Pink: “I’m actually really, really scared for what’s to come in terms of my career. I’m a journalism minor, so I know that my whole career path is at risk of being nonexistent anymore, which is terrifying because it’s a field and degree I’ve already been working for thee years for, and there’s a chance that it may amount to nothing by the time I graduate.”
Ellie: “While my career goals haven’t necessarily changed, the election results have pushed me to want to work harder. This election made it explicitly clear that no matter how good you are, this country will never respect you if you’re a Black woman. While this realization is hurtful, it’s motivated me with a new type of anger that makes me want to excel. White supremacists may think that this election has ‘put us in our place’ or killed our spirit, and I want to prove to everyone that they couldn’t be more wrong.”
Meow: “Maybe I won’t go to grad school since he wants to take away FAFSA.”
First Time Voter: “Yes, I currently work in the healthcare system and am in school to get a degree to change positions within the healthcare system, but as of now, it feels as if I won’t have a decision in my treatment, so why help the system?”
Blue Violet: “I don’t think the immediate result has changed my career goals yet. If anything, I have a new personal goal to be more careful about who I let into my life. I am shaking my head in disapproval of former friends who are actively celebrating what they are too blind to realize is the absolute loss of their freedoms. I am also hoping to set the goal of being more confident in voicing my thoughts while I still can.”
Jade: “It has. For a while I’ve been considering a career in politics, but this was all I needed to commit and this January I will be majoring in political science. I want to have a voice and it seems the only way I can do that is by getting the necessary education.”
What would you like to see from the POC community both locally and nationally in terms of unity and support after this election?
Ellie: “I want to see the POC community starting to wake up and realize that we are under an active attack for our livelihoods and cultures. We will never be respected or prioritized by Trump or his followers, and the entire community doesn’t realize that. Some major self-assessment needs to be done and we need to begin decolonizing our minds to believe that we have to adapt to a white America in order to be happy or feel accepted.”
Molly (an international student in Korea): “I would like to see more support for the POC community – including making after-school programs free or even including free dinner because many kids do not get dinner after school. They’re hungry from only having lunch at their schools. And it has happened time and time again.”
Meow: “Educate the younger youth. They are learning a very harmful lifestyle thanks to the “alpha males” podcast. It’s dangerous and it’s important to educate them!”
First Time Voter: “Unfortunately, I think there’s currently not going to be unity from a lot of POC communities. There have been a lot of different groups of people that have shown they are not supportive of their own community and those outside of their community.”
Jade: “I would like to see us getting way more involved than we are. The standard for activism is entirely too low. And even though some people’s small efforts go a long way I think those who can, should go to the extreme. It’s the only way to make a heavy lasting impact.”
Ashley: “I’d like to see more BIPOC elected into local offices.”
Pretty In Pink: “I’ve kind of already seen it, but I’d really like to see the POC community, as well as other communities such as LGBTQ+ communities, come together to support one another. This is a fight that we’re all fighting together, and it won’t happen without a strong support system.”
Do you feel hopeful that future elections will bring about positive change for POC, or are you more skeptical about the current future of the country?
Pretty In Pink: “I’m skeptical because we have to get through these next four years to even think about seeing a change in future elections.”
Ellie: “Right now, I honestly can’t give a clear answer to that. This election could’ve turned the page on a very dark time in American politics, and instead were lengthening it. This could be the gateway to a new era of American politics that is characterized by violence, separatism, and hate. I don’t know how the American people will take these policies once they are implemented. I believe there’s the possibility for a light at the end of the tunnel, but I think we need to get a little deeper into that tunnel before we figure out if that light is there.”
Meow: “I am always hopeful that maybe one day we will see change.”
First Time Voter: “I think both; I’m hopeful because currently presidents can only serve two terms, and this will be the last he’s able to run for, but I am also not hopeful because of how easily he won this election and the platform he’s giving to people with the same views.”
Jade: “I unfortunately do not feel entirely hopeful for future elections. It concerns me how many people are willing to sacrifice incredibly important laws and other necessary institutions for seemingly nothing.”
Ashley: “I do have more hope for the future elections. I see this one as a big setback.”
As we move through each election season, it’s important to recognize the mental toll these moments can take on Black and POC communities. The stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion of constantly fighting for justice and equality can weigh heavily, and prioritizing our mental health is just as essential as continuing the fight for change. It’s okay to seek help and take time for self-care. Whether it’s talking to a professional, connecting with others who share similar experiences, or simply taking a moment to breathe, it’s vital that we care for ourselves as we push for progress. Mental well-being is the foundation of resilience, and taking steps to protect it ensures we can continue our fight for a just and equitable future. We have the power to be the change we want to see in the world. The results may be disheartening, but they don’t define us or our journey. We have the strength to keep fighting for a more just and equal future, holding our heads high and staying resilient. Every step we take toward equity, no matter how small, adds up. We continue to advocate for our communities, push for better representation, and support one another. Change is not always immediate, but each act of resistance, each voice raised in unity, brings us closer to the future we deserve. Keep fighting, keep speaking out, and never forget the power we hold to create a better tomorrow.