“People who have endured horrible events suffer predictable psychological harm.” (Herman, pg. 3). “…
I don’t think it’s a stretch to acknowledge that Folks of Afreekan Descent have experienced “horrible events” since our introduction to the world of “civilized” societal living. Brought to the shores of Virginia, beginning in 1619, Afreekan Descendants cultural reality changed and the social/emotional programming into the European cultural asili, thought and behavioral practices, began.
This process is similar to how children are raised in Western dominated societies. The ways we think about children, their needs, the desired and valued outcome of a “productive citizen” who strives for “success”, characterized by amount of material possession and levels of emotional comfort obtained during the course of one’s life.
Forced submission and compliance was gained through practices consistent with the instillation of “fear” using tactics designed to terrorize and terrify the Spirit, Will and Mind into thinking and doing as “I” say. For Afreekan Descendants, that “I” represents the European. In the life of a child, the “I” is the parent. I submit to you now, that the European is in fact, the socio/emotional parent of the Afreekan. And, are we not taught, encouraged and threatened with exclusion/rejection if we do not Honor our parents at all times? Regardless of their “short comings”, faults and errors negatively impacting on our psychic or physical bodies, we are to honor, cherish and praise them in this life and beyond.
People who endure trauma usually end up later on in life engaging in self-destructive practices and, if left untreated, will often times traumatize their children in the same way they were traumatized and add into it the self-destructive practices that one developed as well.
This is in essence where we are. Self-destruction became our culture for hundreds of years. That doesn't go away with a stroke of a pen. I'm not just speaking about slavery either. We were not "freed" in 1865. Jim Crow is not now and was not ever FREEDOM.
We seem to terribly underestimate what we have been through and continue to go through, because we have this idea that black people either can or are suppose to be able to take it. Social judgment of chronically traumatized people therefore tends to be extremely harsh.
M.E.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to acknowledge that Folks of Afreekan Descent have experienced “horrible events” since our introduction to the world of “civilized” societal living. Brought to the shores of Virginia, beginning in 1619, Afreekan Descendants cultural reality changed and the social/emotional programming into the European cultural asili, thought and behavioral practices, began.
This process is similar to how children are raised in Western dominated societies. The ways we think about children, their needs, the desired and valued outcome of a “productive citizen” who strives for “success”, characterized by amount of material possession and levels of emotional comfort obtained during the course of one’s life.
Forced submission and compliance was gained through practices consistent with the instillation of “fear” using tactics designed to terrorize and terrify the Spirit, Will and Mind into thinking and doing as “I” say. For Afreekan Descendants, that “I” represents the European. In the life of a child, the “I” is the parent. I submit to you now, that the European is in fact, the socio/emotional parent of the Afreekan. And, are we not taught, encouraged and threatened with exclusion/rejection if we do not Honor our parents at all times? Regardless of their “short comings”, faults and errors negatively impacting on our psychic or physical bodies, we are to honor, cherish and praise them in this life and beyond.
People who endure trauma usually end up later on in life engaging in self-destructive practices and, if left untreated, will often times traumatize their children in the same way they were traumatized and add into it the self-destructive practices that one developed as well.
This is in essence where we are. Self-destruction became our culture for hundreds of years. That doesn't go away with a stroke of a pen. I'm not just speaking about slavery either. We were not "freed" in 1865. Jim Crow is not now and was not ever FREEDOM.
We seem to terribly underestimate what we have been through and continue to go through, because we have this idea that black people either can or are suppose to be able to take it. Social judgment of chronically traumatized people therefore tends to be extremely harsh.
M.E.