Appendix
What is racialized trauma?
Resmaa Menakem’s work delves into racialized trauma, addressing the mental and emotional impacts of racism and discrimination faced by people of color. Racialized trauma refers both to the communal pain experienced by marginalized groups, transcending individual instances to affect entire communities. Menakem’s approach focuses on understanding how this trauma is embodied and passed down through generations. While individuals may directly experience racial trauma, the effects can also be felt indirectly, perpetuating a cycle of internalized pain and distress. This broader, communal perspective underscores the complexity of recognizing and healing racialized trauma, extending beyond individual experiences to encompass systemic and intergenerational injustices.
Menakem facilitates the journey of healing racialized trauma by making invisible traumas visible and guiding individuals, communities, and organizations toward holistic and resilient healing. His work delves into the healing journey encompassing body, mind, and soul, not only for individuals but also for our society and global community. He addresses a pervasive trauma that has affected millions of Americans and others worldwide for generations, manifesting in our bodies, systems, and structures. This trauma, often termed as racialized trauma or white-body supremacy (WBS), perpetuates the false belief that white bodies are inherently superior, perpetuating division and inequality. While rooted in greed and self-interest, its consequences are deeply rooted in hatred and violence. Healing from racialized trauma begins in the body, and each blog post offers body-centered healing activities as part of Somatic Abolitionism—a movement to free ourselves and our society from the shackles of racialized trauma. Somatic Abolitionism fosters endurance and stamina through antiracist practices, aiming to ripple healing effects from individual bodies to our collective body. However, healing is not universal; it requires capacity, choice, and safety. Those resistant to healing or supportive of perpetuating racialized trauma may not find resonance with this blog. For others, it offers a transformative path to begin healing now.
Healing racial trauma through body- centered psychology with Resmaa Menakem
Reflection
- How might library staff apply Menakem’s insights on racialized trauma and healing to their professional practice, particularly in creating inclusive and supportive library environments?
- How can libraries serve as spaces for healing and resilience-building in the face of racialized trauma, and what resources or programs might support this endeavor?
