Black Generational Trauma
How do you define generational trauma? Start by reflecting on the history of trauma for the people in your family. Consider the pain they’ve had to endure for you to be here. Hold that thought for a minute. Now think about how your perception of the world and your response to trauma are based on that history. After thinking about how the history of the women in your family affect your personal experience and trauma response, start to expand that same thought process to the collective trauma of black people. Unhealed wounds still remain that affect us individually and collectively. What our ancestors endured, from the physical and mental shackles of slavery to the continuous disregard of how America has benefitted from black culture across the African diaspora, have affected all of us and how we move through the world. Breaking the chains we have to generational trauma means healing ourselves individually while simultaneously giving grace to ourselves and other individuals who aren’t ready to tackle that feat. After all, who says breaking generational traumas or generational curses is anyone's or everyone’s burden to bare? What does healing from generational trauma look like? We will all define what that looks like uniquely based on our individual experiences. Healing isn’t linear and what works for one person won’t necessarily translate to the next. Collectively, what we can do is show up in this world unapologetically shying away from society’s stereotypical definition of what being a black man or woman might be. Embrace our right to be happy instead of being stuck in a vicious cycle of constant rage. Dance when no one is watching or while everyone watches to conjure up the delights of our ancestors. Manifest self-love for ourselves and the women who may come after us because love simply endures. Stand firm in our efforts of being the best version of ourselves we can be. We deserve to be soft in a world that transcribes us to be otherwise. We deserve to create and leave behind a legacy of growth, wealth, positivity and hope. Remember who we are and what we offer this world is invaluable; if we offer this world anything extra it's truly a privilege.
