Stop Playing in Our Face: Confronting Historical Harm and Reclaiming Black Wellness

This workshop examines the lasting impact of historical trauma on the mental health of Black communities. Participants will explore how slavery, Reconstruction-era violence, displacement, and systemic racism created stressors that continue to affect wellbeing today. The training will also identify how this trauma can show up as depression, anxiety, PTSD, grief, substance use, hypervigilance, and distrust.

In addition, the session highlights the resilience of freedmen communities, including the roles of faith, land ownership, family bonds, education, and mutual aid. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of both the challenges and strengths within these experiences. The workshop emphasizes a culturally responsive and strengths-based approach to healing.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

1. Explain how slavery, Reconstruction violence, displacement, and racism created long-term mental health stressors still seen today.

2. Identify how historical trauma may show up today as depression, anxiety, PTSD, grief, substance use, hypervigilance, and distrust.

3. Recognize resilience strategies from freedmen communities—faith, land ownership, family bonds, education, and mutual aid—that still support healing today. 

This training is designed for clinicians, mental health professionals, mental health advocates.

This training provides 1 CE Hour