Day 6 Theme: The Intergenerational Trauma of Racism

One of the many insidious aspects of racism is that it harms people not just at a particular point in time, but over generations. The violence, poverty, family separation, social isolation and myriad indignities carried out in service to White supremacy can have devastating impacts on individual health and community resilience. To add insult to injury, the mainstream healthcare system meant to help people recover from physical and psychological trauma was itself established in a White supremacist society and often perpetuates abuse of people of color (Why Racism in Health Care is Still a Problem Today, article linked below).

The five-minute TedEd video by Carlos Guerrero-Bosagna (linked below) explains how trauma can cause biological changes that leave people vulnerable to stress, disease and other poor health conditions. The two short videos from University of Minnesota Extension and Dr. Joy DeGruy (both 5 minutes and linked below) discuss the intergenerational trauma done to Native Americans and African Americans, respectively.

The Crosscut article details the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Washington's Latino community.

Reflect & Respond:

We ask you to think about where you see the enduring impact of historical trauma in your community today. What current events, including contemporary policy decisions, are creating the conditions for transmitting trauma to future generations? How can individuals and communities heal from the injuries inflicted by racism and how do we ensure that our healthcare systems and other institutions are structured to promote healing for people and communities of color?