Black Leadership Series Part 2: Addressing Trauma Bonding and Empowering the Community Beyond Historical Trauma
Brandon Jones, MA, CPPM
Executive Director at Minnesota Association For Children’s Mental Health
In addition to recognizing and healing from historical trauma, Black leaders must address the concept of trauma bonding that can emerge from shared experiences of oppression and racism. Trauma bonding is the psychological phenomenon in which individuals form deep emotional connections based on shared traumatic experiences. While this bonding can foster a sense of solidarity and understanding, it can also perpetuate a cycle of victimhood and hinder progress.
Black leaders must navigate the delicate balance of acknowledging the pain and trauma while empowering our communities to move beyond it. They should encourage individuals to reclaim their narratives and embrace a mindset of resilience and agency. By reframing the narrative from one centered solely on victimhood to one acknowledging the strength and triumphs of the Black community, leaders can inspire a sense of collective and individual empowerment.
Leadership that transcends historical trauma is rooted in empowering the community to redefine our identity beyond the constraints of oppression. Black leaders can foster a sense of agency by providing opportunities for skill development, apprenticeship, and entrepreneurship. By nurturing a culture of self-reliance and interdependence, leaders can empower individuals to break free from the shackles of historical trauma and pursue their goals with confidence and determination.
Furthermore, Black leaders should encourage our communities to actively engage in the broader society. This includes participating in political processes, advocating for policy reforms, and creating spaces for dialogue and collaboration. By engaging with institutions and systems, leaders can effect systemic change and ensure that the community's voice is heard and represented.
Empowering the community beyond historical trauma also involves promoting sustainable wellness and mental well-being. Leaders should prioritize establishing support systems that address the mental and emotional health challenges resulting from racial trauma and internalized anti-blackness. This may include partnering with mental health professionals, organizing wellness programs, and promoting healthy coping mechanisms within the community. By prioritizing sustainable wellness and healing, leaders enable individuals to transcend the limitations imposed by historical trauma and cultivate personal growth.
In conclusion, as Black leaders, we are responsible for guiding our communities beyond the effects of historical trauma by addressing trauma bonding and fostering empowerment. By reframing the narrative, providing opportunities for growth and self-reliance, engaging with institutions, and promoting self-care, leaders can empower individuals to transcend their past and embrace a future marked by strength, resilience, and progress. Through our leadership, Black communities can forge a path towards healing, empowerment, and a society where historical trauma is acknowledged but not defined.
Creative Strategist + Movement Coach
1 年Great read ????
Safe Communities Administrative Manager, Senior
1 年Thank for this encouraging and empowering article! Well done!
Violence Intervention Specialist
1 年This is critical work. Our children represent what may lie ahead on this planet. Wishing you all the best.
Senior Pastor of Crossover Ministries International
1 年Rebuilding our own families, culture and kingdom mindsets are key to the sustainment of our people. We don't need handouts from any culture of people who seek to manipulate our people in any sort of way. We must rebuild and sustain our people & culture financially, educationally, socially and as a whole. And let us stop being the low hanging fruit to allow other people to make their riches off our finances. And yet at the same time their looking down their noses at us as though we're nothing to them but as servants or a cash machine my people?? " Celah " Pause and think what you've just heard....... I. H. Y. M. Amein (3)
Violence Intervention Specialist
1 年I've heard it said, that leaders are born leaders. I won't challenge that, I'll just repeat what is well known. There are many, in leadership positions, that don't know the first thing about being a leader. Who best knows, the leader?