Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America's Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing

This is some intense and easily consumed deep reading material, compelling us to gaze uncomfortably at and into the unflattering challenges which continue to face the African-American collective "Community," and delves head-on into examining & explaining how the "HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE" of Black People in the United States, those who were the unfortunate descendants of the Trans-Atlantic African Slave Trade, has both simultaneously "Strengthened" and "Hindered" hindered life for this segment of the North American population across the Generations, to where many of its effects are still being felt even to this very Day. This is a powerful companion to Dr. Carol Anderson's excellent book on on the Societal struggles of Blacks in America - "WHITE RAGE: The Unspoken Truth Of Our Racial Divide"

Very good knowledge reading

Dr. Joy DeGruy wrote this book that is necessary for every American especially African American to read. I have been on my own personal journey to healing some past traumas and within the last couple of months I began to realize that some of the unconscious patterns of thought and actions didn’t start with me my parents or my parents parents. Unfortunately after studying the chakras, yoga, Louise hay, therapist and etc. I still didn’t get to the root of it all and no one touches on the intricate effects of slavery and PTSS as Dr. Joy explains. I recently participated in a really deep intense breathing seminar with a large group of people and an intuitive healer. We let out breaths that were done for over an hour allowing us to release and let me just say what I realeased was not mine and was deeply embedded in me. I really got the feeling I was releasing the excruciating pain of being whipped, drowned, or experiencing some horrific trauma of one of my ancestors as a slave. I cried out in so much pain and uncontrollable movements in my body and wanted it to stop I remember grasping the healers arm in panic as I was reassured that everything was ok and to surrender. I say this to say this really left me shook and catapulted me into really figuring out what more I needed to realease because the space of serenity I felt afterwords was too profound to explain and scary to realize I was carrying that load and didnt even know it. Do the work if your ancestors were brought here unwillingly and start healing communities.

Very well done book that does not make Black People feel angry nor White People guilty but from a gentle and skillful psychological point of view the book will "have you considered the impact of this or that upon both races as the result of Slavery in America?" A folk-like homespun way of tell these truths that masks the clinical questions that all trained psychologist asked..."and how would (does) that make you feel for all of us who ever sat on a couch?" The book made me consider the psychological impact of daily slave life with a WOW again and again as I never thought of the situations the book made me consider. The shared dehumanization of both whites and blacks due to the slave experience which goes a long way towards explaining to me why we as a country cannot truly discuss slavery's impact today. I found it self-healing and very necessary for all, both black and white, but especially for the victims of the African Holocaust my terminology not hers. I thought Dr. Leary PhD, did an excellent job and a high school or even a 6 grader could read the material without difficulty.

We are living in a slave master's land (was the Indians..). Hundreds of years of slavery, mental torture and degradation and then "freed." No therapy. No understanding, not even patience. To listen to Dr DeGruy's youtube videos was so enlightening to me. Sorrow, but understanding and then JOY. I didn't understand the anger, towards myself or others. Now, I can see where so much pain has come from. I can show compassion and love towards myself and others. Whatever programming I had, has been deleted--destroyed. I look back with pride, hurt, and know that I, myself, can heal. What a blessing this woman has brought us! Thank you Dr. Joy DeGruy!

I completed the reading of "The Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome" by #DrJoyDegruy and reading the book is a necessity as I learned of my DNA connection to West Africa but one of the lowest points for me was about Mary Turner. For three days last week I could not sleep plus nightmare's, I heard stories from my Ancestors in North Carolina but now the stories are confirmed. This read has been the most difficult read of my entire human existence. Dr. Joy Degruy arrangement of the chapters was a therapeutic session. She broke you down and in the middle began the process of healing. I am forever grateful to Dr. Joy Degruy for assisting me with healing of my Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome✊🏿❤️ Frank Embree and Mary Turner your deaths will never be forgotten✊🏿

I purchased this book because I had many questions I wanted answered. Most of them were questions of "Why?". My biggest question was why we as black people have so many unhealthy habits in how we treat each other. As a young African American male who was raised by his mother in a predominantly white suburban area, I wanted to know why, when I encountered other black youth in more urban areas, they would tell me I "talk white." What is "talking white?" Basically, talking white means I was talking like I have an education. Why do so many members of the black community (those without an education) reject me for valuing education? Why is it that when one black person fidns a way out of the ghetto, it seems the whole neighborhood, church included, condems that person for leaving "his/her people" and wanting to live in the suburbs with the whites? Why don't we support one-another in this society that has always held us from achieving our full potential? I wanted to learn why we seem to have no clue of who we are, and so many of us, young and old, strive to "prove" we are "black enough." So talking a certain way makes us black? Or is it eating certain foods that makes us "black"? Listening to only certain kinds of music? We lack a firm sense of cultural identity. We take rebellious pride in being at the bottom, and equate success with "whiteness." We denounce the achievements of any black person and ostracize him from the community. We work to pressure our own to stay at the bottom. In this very interesting book, the author, Dr. Joy Degruy Leary, proposes a number of explanations for why the African American community has developed these and other unhealthy cultural habits. Leary examines this very real "crabs in the barrel" mentality, as well as many other self-destructive habits which plague the black community. Leary establishes a diagnoses, and calls it Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome. Leary presents a very strong argument that the behaviors are all symptoms that have been passed down through the generations of African American people from the dawn of the trans-atlantic slave trade to today. Leary uses her own observations to support her theory of Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome. This book is a very thoughtful read. The reason I give this work only four stars is because I truly feel that Leary's argument would have been much more affirmed and effective if she had included a visual timeline to help the reader to better understand the timeframes and chain of events in history discussed in the book. The argument also would have been more effective if the author spent more time on each point. At times it seems she's just getting started before summarizing all that was just said and moving on. Scholarly sources are cited and research is used, but the book does not explore any one study or statistic in great depth. It is a fast read.

I Love this book!! I as did Dr DeGruy have always had questions about myself, my family members as well as the African American community as to why we act a certain way towards each other. Why do we hate each other, quit school so frequently, give up on our dreams, become teenage parents at such young ages, and the list goes on. This book breaks down to the very core of why we do this to ourselves as well as break down why "white" society treats us as they do. Slavery was two sided and affected both races in a negative way. If you read this book and take in "truth" it will change your life forever whether black or white. It is a must have for the African American family if you want to know where to start to affect change in your house starting with knowing how to fix yourself. Dr Degruy gives you a starting point of what the issues are and what you need to do to start the positive changes that's needed in our lives! Please, PLEASE, Please purchase this book!

Excellent . Stripped down to the realities and truths of how and why we move the way we do.

Dr Joy Degruy has written Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome with great clarity, compassion, empathy, passion and truth. It does not seek to blame but to understand and help the decedents of slavery all over the world come to terms with their traumatic past. It then gives guidance to black parents, families and communities on how they can practically support their children deal with this trauma, heal and succeed in societies where ‘white privilege’ is a reality. It is a truly brilliant book and I wished I had read it sooner. A must read for every parent who have black children.

Splendid 👍 👍 👍

excellent moyen de comprendre accepter et dépasser l'histoire

Really makes one look deeper into the issues we see everyday. Very informative and Insightful perspective.