Historical Trauma: Context and Effects

Summary

The video script delves into the concept of historical trauma, its impact on African American and Native American communities, and its intergenerational effects. It discusses the physical and psychological repercussions, including increased health risks and societal disparities. The narrative follows Dr. Helen Kim's work with a young mom, illustrating the challenges of navigating a system intended to help but often exacerbating trauma. The story emphasizes the need for systemic change, focusing on community engagement and trauma-informed practices to foster healing and resilience.

Takeaways

• 🛠️ The United States has inflicted historical trauma on African American and Native American communities through slavery, genocide, colonization, and forced relocation.
• 💔 Historical trauma involves collective, cumulative emotional wounding across generations from cataclysmic events targeting entire communities.
• 🧬 Trauma is incorporated in the body, altering gene function and being transmitted across generations, affecting descendants even without direct trauma exposure.
• 📉 Manifestations of historical trauma today include significant disparities in poverty rates, arrest rates, academic achievement, home ownership, and employment rates between African American/Native American communities and whites.
• 👶 Historical trauma leads to individual trauma in new generations, often in the form of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) like abuse, neglect, mental illness, and early death.
• 🚨 Those with high ACE scores are at increased risk for various health issues, including smoking, hepatitis, alcohol abuse, STDs, and suicide attempts.
• 🔄 Current systems designed to help people often perpetuate structural racism and historical trauma, causing further harm to those already oppressed.
• 💔 The story of a young mother, M, illustrates how systemic failures and biases contribute to ongoing trauma and hinder the healing process.
• 👩‍⚕️ Dr. Helen Kim's attempt to help M through a supportive letter backfired due to systemic and personal biases, highlighting the need for trauma-informed, culturally sensitive approaches.
• 🔄 To effect meaningful change, systems must shift from reactive to preventative approaches, prioritizing community-led reforms and upstream investments in child, family, and community well-being.

Q & A

What is historical trauma and how does it affect communities?

Historical trauma refers to collective cumulative emotional wounding across generations resulting from cataclysmic events that target a whole community. It affects communities by being incorporated in the body and altering gene functions, which can be passed on to future generations, leading to ongoing issues like discrimination, health and income disparities, and even genetic changes.

How can historical trauma be transmitted over generations?

Historical trauma can be transmitted over generations through changes in gene function that are incorporated in the body. These changes can be passed on to one's children, allowing those who have not directly experienced the trauma to still feel its effects.

What are some examples of current manifestations of historical trauma in the United States?

Examples include higher poverty rates for African American and Native American children, disproportionate arrest rates for low-level offenses, large achievement gaps in education, and significant disparities in home ownership and employment rates.

What is the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACES) on health?

Adverse childhood experiences can lead to a higher risk of smoking, hepatitis, alcohol abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and suicide attempts. These experiences can cause chronic toxic stress, affecting brain function and physical health.

How does the trauma of one generation affect parenting and the next generation?

Trauma from one generation can lead to neglectful or abusive parenting patterns, vulnerability to social stressors, and a higher likelihood of becoming abusive under such influences, thus perpetuating a cycle of trauma in the next generation.

What role did the 1956 Federal Highway Act play in the trauma of North Minneapolis?

The 1956 Federal Highway Act led to the construction of Interstate 94, which resulted in the deconstruction of the community fabric and vitality of areas like North Minneapolis and St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood. This disrupted a once vibrant and economically stable community, leading to increased poverty and violence.

How did the system's practices contribute to the trauma of the young mom 'M' in the script?

The system's practices, such as requiring M to attend programs that cost money and resulted in her losing her job, placing her baby in the hands of strangers for transportation, and poor communication between caseworkers and caretakers, added to M's stress and trauma, making it difficult for her to focus on her child and heal.

What is the role of Dr. Helen Kim in the story presented in the script?

Dr. Helen Kim is a psychiatrist who runs a program serving pregnant and postpartum moms with depression and trauma. She aims to help these moms protect and nurture their children and to parent with awareness, love, and compassion.

Why did Dr. Kim's letter to the court cause further harm to M?

Dr. Kim's letter, which detailed M's abusive past and struggles, was used in court without her permission or prior review. This public exposure of her trauma without her consent led to feelings of humiliation and increased conflict with her mother, exacerbating her stress and trauma.

What is the importance of community involvement in reforming systems to address historical and generational trauma?

Community involvement is crucial as it ensures that reforms are informed by the voices of those most affected by historical and generational trauma. It allows for the development of policies and practices that are more responsive to the needs of the community and can help break the cycle of trauma.

How can systems shift their focus to be more preventative and supportive of child, family, and community well-being?

Systems can shift their focus by creating child and family-centered, trauma-informed policies and practices, reducing toxic stresses, supporting parent-child relationships, and promoting resilience and protective factors. This involves making upstream investments in communities and switching from a reactive approach to a preventative one.