Through the process of joining the PACEs Connection team as the Director of Creating Resilient Communities, the question inevitably arose, “What do you know about PACEs science?"
When I’m asked that question by academia-level scholars, a two-part question crosses my mind. Do they mean the exclusive interpretation that intellectuals thrive on challenging among those they consider their peers—or do they mean the inclusive interpretation that overrides the disconnect the topic can inspire and, instead, helps create a culture of belonging?
I remain aware that the real answer to that question lies in the quiet assumptions, judgments, and limiting beliefs nestled in the silence between the curious and the examined.
To the Curious and the Examined, Here’s What I Know
Trauma-informed awareness that builds resilient communities can’t be scalable if superiority undermines people that have lived experience that show up to help dismantle the dysfunctional construct we’re bound to. I know that it takes as much emotional intelligence as intellect to ensure both the science and the healing stay accessible. I know that in 2020, the shadow pandemic caused an alarming spike in domestic violence, and marketers, creatives, and tech innovators held precious keys to important online prevention, support, and educational programs and training. I also know that normalizing trauma-informed resilience education will continue to take a village—us. We won’t move the most important interventions forward if we cherry pick those who show up to support the important work of PACEs based on exclusivity or hidden bias.
PACEs science is an invaluable tool for intervention, but growing up, I didn’t need fancy language as I witnessed and experienced life-changing violence by a law enforcement officer who was a then-caretaker—in a world without access to trauma-informed interventions, protection, and medical care due to a deeply flawed system. While I didn’t need to be convinced about the health ramifications family members experienced as a result, it took me years to realize how deeply my growth was disrupted after a particularly memorable assault that left me wearing long sleeves and pants for my beach field trip the next morning in the fourth grade. It’s just as devastating to struggle as a result of feral policing as it is to witness a loved one consumed by it. It changed our lives forever.
It took years to understand there’s only one human race, yet the disturbing nuances of a world bound by the construct of racism and religious nationalism thrives. I know this is erosive and disastrous by design, if not deadly. I often wonder why we don’t hear as much from scientists about the diagnosis of silent benefactors of Eurocentric nationalism, racism, misogyny, or the collective addiction to superiority that parades in plain sight that’s often blatantly denied as much as we do those that are targeted with ages old stigma. Trauma-informed scientists would be well advised to start there and consider borrowing the APA’s approach to public course correction.
I know it takes an epic journey for those impacted by life-changing violence to realize our own wild resilience, retrieve our sense of wholeness, and also reclaim our sense of identity, whether we have the support we need or not.
Coming Full Circle
Years ago, I stumbled onto a career of firsts in the high fashion, film and television, and entertainment industry as on-camera talent. While these industries still had a long way to go to bring equity up to speed and inspired plenty of toxicity, I learned so much by traveling and working closely with top fashion magazine editors, creative directors, designers, photographers, and producers. For awhile, immersion into the chaos of an emerging career was the perfect way to leave behind my complicated early start.
I learned that by default, it’s easier to make up stories about other people's identity than to deal with our own. As I outgrew my role, my big picture changed. Over the course of a decade, I immersed myself in personal development work, including Reiki, non-plant medicine Shamanism, voice dialogue, and trauma-informed outreach training. During that time, I also completed a media certificate program and began working with lifestyle clients as an independent marketing communications consultant.
Through these seemingly unrelated experiences, I learned my preferred approach to purpose-driven growth is alchemical. Each time I learn something new, my ability to harness new skills grows. Alchemy gives me a new language and increases my capacity to deepen, sweeten, and expand my intuition, emotional intelligence, empathy, joy, discernment, and integrity in work and life. My purpose was finally crystallized: I unite people through stories.
What Got Us Here Won't Get Us There
In a world that continues to disrupt unheard voices by overtly withholding equity, healthcare, and mental health resources—or covertly fueling superiority while denying the very possibility—efforts void of humanity will fall short of our deep need to recover from a very ugly and complicated history. With all bypassing aside, the way we show up among our peers, in our communities, and in our societies will either foster a culture of belonging or it won’t. Avoidance, apathy, gaslighting, and disconnection may have gotten us where we are now, but they won’t get us where we’re going.
The reality is that getting over painful circumstances is not the same as getting through them. There will never be a time when we don’t need continued support from our friends, coworkers, and loved ones in a society ready to cultivate trauma-informed awareness, education, and resilience. That’s why I look forward to building on these shared values with the PACEs Connection team: to empower people, families, communities, and organizations with the human-focused tools and living resources needed for a better world.
Interested in registering for the 2023 Creating Resilient Communities program? Join PACEs Connection to receive updates through our newsletter or reach out to kevans@pacesconnection.com.
About the author: Kahshanna Evans brings her passion for uniting people through stories and trauma-informed awareness to her role as the Director of Creating Resilient Communities at PACEs Connection. Kahshanna has been a leading strategic thinker in various industries, including communications, tech, professional services, and wellness.
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