What is racialized trauma?
Content warning: racialized violence; violence against Black people
When researching the definition of trauma, I found it all too easy to get pulled toward definitions rooted in the experience of white people. For example: the YouTube video “What trauma does to your brain and body | Bessel van der Kolk”, produced and posted by The Well. In this video, there are unnecessary reenactments of traumatic violent scenarios, so I’m not reposting it. In addition to that red flag, all the examples of how “widespread” trauma is in our society given in the video centered a white experience. There wasn’t a word of how racism is a fundamental reason trauma is so widespread.
So, while I deeply value what can be learned from Bessel van der Kolk’s “The Body Keeps the Score”, I’m also seeking to round out perspective on the definition of trauma and why trauma is so pervasive in our society. Here’s another.
Resmaa Menakem, author of “My Grandmother’s Hands” is an excellent resource for more deeply understanding racialized trauma and pathways for healing.
A Conversation with Resmaa Menakem: What is Racialized Trauma?
