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Dr. Joy Degruy: A Leader in Understanding and Addressing Generational Trauma
Before diving into the depth of the trauma that Black women have carried through generations, it is important to acknowledge the groundbreaking work of Dr. Joy Degruy. An internationally recognized author, speaker, and educator, Dr. Degruy has dedicated her life to understanding the effects of slavery on Black people, particularly Black women, through her research on Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome. Her work has opened the door to understanding how the atrocities of slavery continue to shape the lives of Black people today, not just emotionally but on a cellular level.
Dr. Degruy’s research provides a framework for us to understand the inherited trauma embedded in our DNA. Her work explains that the experiences of our ancestors—particularly the unspeakable violations suffered by Black women—have altered our very genetic makeup, passing down the emotional, mental, and physical scars of slavery to future generations. Dr. Degruy’s contributions have been vital in exposing how deeply rooted these traumas are, and why it is essential to address them for true healing to begin.
This article is inspired by Dr. Degruy’s brilliant work and is driven by the words of a Black sister who responded to a video on this topic and shared her passionate perspectives with me. Together, their insights help us confront the lasting impact of slavery on Black women today, as well as the collective trauma that must be addressed for true healing.
It is time we faced the uncomfortable truth—the trauma that Black women have endured over centuries did not fade away when slavery ended, nor did it die with the previous generations. No, this pain is alive and well, buried deep within the very cells of our existence, passed down from mother to child, from generation to generation. It festers, unacknowledged, in our bodies, our minds, and our souls, manifesting in ways that the world would prefer to dismiss as mere dysfunction.
But dysfunction it is not. What the world has labeled as the “angry Black woman” is nothing but an eruption of deeply entrenched trauma, pain, and generational anguish that Black women have been forced to carry like a boulder on their backs. This is not some abstract concept or metaphorical wounding. We’re talking about trauma so deep that it has altered the very DNA of the Black woman, reshaping her existence, her lineage, and her reality in ways that science can now begin to explain, but that our ancestors knew intimately.
A Legacy of Rape, Violation, and the Unacknowledged Holocaust of Our Women
Imagine, if you will, being a woman in the brutal era of slavery. You are torn from your homeland, stripped of your identity, your culture, your family, and your name. Then you are used as a tool of labor by day and a tool of sexual gratification by night, forced to bear children not of love, but of violence, hatred, and domination. These children—the products of rape—are forced into a cycle of dehumanization, as their very existence serves as a reminder of the brutalities inflicted upon their mothers.
This cycle did not end with the abolition of slavery. The children of those children carried within them the genetic scars of this violence, and so did their children, and their children’s children. This is not some abstract theory—it is epigenetics, the science of trauma embedded in our DNA, a trauma that alters us on a cellular level, impacting our behavior, our mental health, and our relationships, even centuries later.
The so-called “dysfunctional” Black woman that society demonizes today is a direct product of this unhealed, unaddressed trauma. Society has never acknowledged the Holocaust that Black women have endured. While other atrocities throughout history have been commemorated and grieved, the ongoing genocide of the African woman—her soul, her spirit, and her body—remains swept under the rug.
Understanding the Depth of Our Cellular Trauma
What does it mean to carry trauma in your cells? It means that even when you, personally, have not experienced certain brutalities, the emotional and physical scars of your ancestors live within you. It manifests as anger, mistrust, depression, and anxiety, and oftentimes, we don’t even know why we feel these things. As our sister so eloquently explained:
“Some of us have these anxieties and don’t even know why, because maybe in this lifetime we didn’t experience something that would justify it, but because it is generational, it is in the cellular level.”
This rage, fear, and helplessness are not born from the modern-day Black woman’s experiences alone, but from the centuries of dehumanization, violation, and torture endured by her foremothers. Rape was not an anomaly during slavery—it was the rule. Most enslaved Black women were violated by white men who had full control over their bodies. The trauma from these rapes did not just leave emotional scars; it altered the very gene pool of Black people.
Consider this: the appearance of Black Americans today is in itself a testament to the forced breeding, rape, and control over our bodies. Many of us do not resemble our African ancestors like Harriet Tubman, because generations of our lineage were intermingled with the blood of our rapists. Our very skin, our features, are markers of the trauma we have endured.
From the Past to the Present: Modern-Day Minstrelsy and Decadence
Yet, in 2024, we still grapple with this pain in new forms. Today’s media, entertainment, and music industries have become the modern-day plantation, leading many Black women into a cycle of exploitation disguised as empowerment. The “strong, independent Black woman” trope is celebrated, but behind it lies the unaddressed trauma that pushes so many of our sisters into a cycle of self-destruction, forced to put on a brave face while their souls crumble under the weight of centuries-old pain.
Today’s Black woman faces the same lack of protection that her ancestors did. Who is there for her? As our sister poignantly asked:
“Who protects Black women? Who cares about Black women?”
The reality is harsh: The darker your skin, the less protection and compassion you receive. Lighter-skinned women, or those who more closely resemble European beauty standards, may receive attention or sympathy when they are victimized. But what about the women who look like our ancestors? The ones with darker skin, wider noses, coarser hair—where is the compassion for them?
Tying It All Together: A Call for Healing and Reconciliation
This trauma will not be healed by European methods. No therapy, no medication, no external force can bring healing to a people who have been so deeply wounded. The healing must come from within—from understanding our pain, acknowledging our trauma, and finding a way to spiritually, emotionally, and mentally free ourselves from the chains that still bind us.
