A journey towards healing
Emotionally, Mentally, Spiritually, Physically, and Financially.
The Healing Black & Brown Intergenerational Trauma (HBIT) Center is a program of The Healing & Hope Foundation. The HBIT center was developed to aid the black community in overcoming mental, emotional, educational, economic, and financial challenges faced daily as a result of the systematic racism and multigenerational oppression.
Miyume Mckinley, LCSW – Founder
Intergenerational trauma
Intergenerational trauma (or sometimes referred to as Transgenerational Trauma) is defined as “a theory which states that trauma can be transferred from the first generation of trauma survivors to the second and further generations of offspring of the survivors via complex post-traumatic stress disorder mechanisms” (Google, 2017).
In the black & brown community inter-generational trauma has created a breeding ground for low self-esteem, mental health challenges, unhealthy relationships, toxic family interactions, hopelessness, aggression, violence, broken homes, medical problems, and unfortunately for some an early death.
In the black & brown community we have been taught to “be strong” and “press on,” however we have not been taught how to heal from our emotional wounds. We are encouraged to “push through” the pain yet were never educated on how our pain/trauma/emotional wounds have negatively impacted our view of self and our perception of the world we live in. For many in black & brown communities every day is a fight to survive. Survive your neighborhood. Survive your job. Survive the legal system. This takes a toll on us mentally, emotionally, and physically.
So, what does
Intergenerational
Trauma look like
in our community?
- “You have to work twice as hard”
- “What happens in this house, stays in this house”
- Children are seen and not heard
- “You have to be strong”
- “Therapy is for white people”
- “If you had faith, you wouldn’t be depressed”
- “Just pray about it, you don’t need a therapist”
- Straightening your hair before an interview because you do not want to look “too” black
- Fearing for your life when pulled over by the police
- Anxiety every time your loved one leaves the home
- Doing more work than your non-black/bown counterparts because you do not want to be viewed as lazy
- Staying high or intoxicated to decrease racing thoughts and paranoia
- Using alcohol to numb pain
- “If you are depressed just change how you are thinking”
- “I don’t know if I will make it to 30 years old”