Boyfriend lacks empathy

I usually don’t need comforting, but lately I’ve been struggling a lot w past issues of sexual assault and race issues. I (24F) will sometimes just break down but my bf (who is white) either just doesn’t realize what’s going on or will awkwardly pet me. He said he wants to make life easier for me, but when I’m hurting and he’s just there or completely unaware that I’m in distress, I just feel alone.

Do any of you have advice as to how I should go about this? I just feel distant from him now.