What is trauma? Trauma is the emotional and physical response to a distressing event or prolonged situation that overwhelms your ability to cope. Have you ever experienced trauma as a woman of color? In your childhood, relationships with other women of color, socially, in the workplace, family, friendships? How did you cope? How did you heal? Did you have a safe space to heal? Who was your support system? Did you offer yourself love and grace? Did you set boundaries? What are boundaries? Boundaries are invisible limits you set for yourself to define what is acceptable, safe and healthy in your relationships. Women of color face a disproportionately high likelihood of experiencing trauma. Studies indicate that up to 80 % to 90% of black women will experience at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetime. The elevated risk is driven by overlapping layers of interpersonal violence, systemic inequity and race-based stress. Despite higher rates of trauma exposure women of color are less likely to receive professional mental health services due to stigma, cultural barriers and a lack of accessible care. Let's talk about the layers of trauma. Trauma in black women is a multidimensional often described as an interlocking web of experiences. Intergenerational and Historical trauma, racial trauma, misogynoir and gender-based oppression, the strong black woman, the angry black woman, jezebel, the mammy, professional and aesthetic bias (have you ever experienced someone of another demographic touching your hair in the workplace?) and community trauma just to provide a few. Data shows that black women in America face disproportionate systemic, economic and health challenges. Key areas of disparity: wage gaps and economics, maternal health, workplace inequities and weathering. What are the effects of black women being traumatized hypervigilance and psychological fragmentation emotionally, chronic pain and physical exhaustion and a profound spiritual; test of faith, purpose and relational. There will be several parts of this TRAUMA blog. I ask that you take a moment and think about if you have ever been traumatized? How did you identify the trauma? Did you heal or is it dead weight you carry? If you're ready to do something different this is a challenge to you where we can have open transparent conversations no matter where you are at in the journey every part of the journey has a purpose. If this is a topic you are interested in, please engage whether it is sending an email to me, or simply replying back to this blog. Part two of this topic will continue in one week (5/25/26). Be blessed sisters.
Trauma is a very touchy, subject, and something we all experience, but I learned that through the trauma that I dealt with, and was able to make it through in different situations in my life from a child on up to adult I have learned that it has become a stepping stone For my future in which has helped me to be able to help others, helped me to become a better me it help me to be able to acknowledge situations instead of holding it in. I believe that a lot of times when we are faced with trauma and situations, we tend to Hold it in hide from it instead of speaking on it in which caused it…