Tagged With "West Africans"
Blog Post
Intergenerational Trauma: How to Break the Cycle
“ Surviving is important but thriving is elegant” Maya Angelou In my series of blogs raising awareness on childhood trauma, I will tackle intergenerational trauma. I had scheduled to write and post this some weeks ago but the Coronavirus pandemic sent me into a disregulated and anxious state like many of you. I was reflecting the other day that it is the first time the whole of humanity is facing the same threat, I hope it makes us look inside of us and connect more with ourselves and the...
Blog Post
Minnesota Wrestles with Foster Care’s Role in Breaking up Black Families [chronicleofsocialchange.org]
On Dec. 3 , a 28-year-old black mother lost her parental rights to her four children – ages 1 to 9 – in a Minnesota courtroom, just outside the Twin Cities. Instead of opening presents with their mother, the children spent Christmas with a white family two hours away. Across the country, black parents – like this mother, whom we will call Jane R. to protect her privacy – are more likely to lose custody of their children than their white, Asian and Latino peers. While African Americans...
Blog Post
OPINION: Black students’ ‘unprecedented and unequal’ college debt should cause alarm [hechingerreport.org]
Today, students from all backgrounds are choosing to go to college, and many borrow money to make that possible. While education debt is of genuine concern for a wide range of students and families, the broad-brush narrative of student debt in this country ignores sharp differences in borrowing across racial and ethnic groups. As a nation, we should be very concerned that African Americans carry a disproportionate amount of higher-education debt. This unprecedented and unequal level of...
Blog Post
Race and Health in Sacramento Amid the Covid19 Pandemic Crisis
African American community leaders in Sacramento ask city and county leaders to respond proactively to prevent health disparities in Covid19 infection, disability and death in the African American community.
Blog Post
Suicide Rates Are Rising Significantly Among African American Teens (scienceblog.com)
A large-scale study from The University of Toledo of young African Americans who have attempted or died by suicide suggests there is a greater need for mental health services in urban school districts, and that we need to do a better job in convincing parents and caregivers to safely secure firearms and ammunition in the home. Taking those measures, Dr. James Price said, could save lives. Price, UToledo professor emeritus of health education and public health at UToledo, recently authored...
Blog Post
2 New Communities Join ACEs Connection: March 2020
Please welcome these two new communities to ACEs Connection . ACEs & African Americans ACEs Connection at Boston University School of Public Health (MA) ACEs & African Americans This group is focused on the descendants of Africans dispersed throughout the Americas during the Transatlantic Slave Trades. Topics include adverse childhood experiences, historical trauma, intergenerational transmission of trauma, African American parenting practices, health disparities, the effects of...
Blog Post
"A Better Normal" Community Discussion Series-Health Equity
In the seventh installation of the " A Better Normal " community discussion series, ACEs Connection facilitated a conversation focused on health inequity as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic . This discussion featured myself and ACEs Connection member Joshunda Sanders and highlighted the role of racism, historical trauma and poverty when it comes to the impact of this pandemic on African Americans and other vulnerable populations.
Blog Post
ACE Surveillance Study of Teachers and Administrators in Public and Private Schools in Southwest Nigeria, West Africa
Note: These findings were presented at the Child Trauma Conference in Lagos on October 25-26, 2019. Rationale: Many children today live with layers of stress both subtle and overt which in this report are collectively referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Specifically, these ACEs are physical, emotional and sexual abuse; physical and emotional neglect; household dysfunction and domestic violence as well as community violence. The children have a life marked by chaos,...
Blog Post
ACEs & African Americans Community on ACEs Connection
ACEs Connection envisions a resilient world where ALL people thrive. We are an anti-racist organization committed to the pursuit of social justice. In our work to promote resilience and prevent and mitigate ACEs, we intentionally embrace and uplift people who have historically not had a seat at the table. ACEs Connection celebrates the voices and tells the stories of people who have been barred from decision-making and who have shouldered the burden of systemic and economic oppression as the...
Blog Post
Another "A Better Normal" Community Discussion Series-Health Equity
In the thirteenth installation of the " A Better Normal " community discussion series, ACEs Connection facilitated a conversation focused on health inequity as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic . This discussion featured myself and ACEs Connection member Joshunda Sanders and highlighted the role of racism, historical trauma and poverty when it comes to the impact of this pandemic on African Americans and other vulnerable populations. In this session our guests were Sarah Bounse with...
Blog Post
Black Men Run promoting brotherhood through running dedicate run to Ahmaud Arbery (KUSI)
By Jonathan Halvorson, May 9, 2020, for KUSI. SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Nasara Gargonnu is the 2019 Teacher of the Year at Morse High School, Official Live Well San Diego Partner and Captain of Black Men Run San Diego. The organization encourages health and wellness among African American men by promoting a culture of running to stay fit. The group is open to beginners and advanced runners. Gargonnu joined Good Morning San Diego to discuss the group and a run they dedicated for 25-year-old Ahmaud...
Blog Post
Dissecting The Soaring Graduation Rate For Black Boys In Chicago [interactive.wbez.org]
Chicago students Sabeer Al-Shareef and Shameir Faulkner are looking forward to a crazy few months as they approach high school graduation. In June, they’ll walk across a creaky stage at their historic South Side neighborhood high school and then move on to college in the fall. These are Chicago success stories, exactly the kind Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson loves to highlight — young black men getting their diplomas and taking the next step. “One thing that does not get enough...
Blog Post
Dr. Dipesh Navsaria: Schools as symptoms, not the source [The Cap Times]
There has been a lot of hand-wringing in the local press about the state of the Madison Metropolitan School District, particularly around behavior. In particular, the behavior education plan implemented over the last several years — intended to reduce exclusionary practices and use a more progressive approach to discipline — has come under fire for essentially allowing a permissive, low-consequence environment that affects learning as well as staff morale. I read these with interest — my two...
Blog Post
Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris Shares Concerns About The Impact COVID-19 Is Having On Blacks [sacobserver.com]
Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris joined Gov. Newsom for the first time last week to announce a number of actions leaders have taken to address the pandemic. By Genoa Barrow, Sacramento Observer, April 17, 2020 As a pandemic sheds a spotlight on long-standing health inequities for African Americans, California’s surgeon general looks to find lasting solutions. Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris was named to the new position created by Gov. Gavin Newsom in January 2019. She is an African American pediatrician,...
Blog Post
Eradicating the roots of childhood trauma [indianapolisrecorder.com]
On the east side of Indianapolis in late March, a barrage of bullets sprayed through a home, killing 1-year-old Malaysia Robson as she slept on the couch. It was a drive-by shooting in the middle of the night by two men in their late 20s. It’s the kind of violence that can shake a community, leaving its distraught members wondering how much more they can take. Community violence — and other forms of trauma — are especially harmful for children. They’re called adverse childhood experiences...
Blog Post
A Better Normal, Tuesday, June 9th at Noon PDT: Racial Trauma & How to be Anti-Racist
Please join us for the ongoing community discussion of A Better Normal, our ongoing series in which we envision the future as trauma-informed. Protests and riots across the country--and even worldwide--are making it impossible to ignore the racial trauma of police brutality and historical trauma embedded within our society. Many of us are grappling with complex feelings of helplessness and righteous anger. In response to this pandemic of racism in America, "A Better Normal" will hold space...
Blog Post
Black Immigrant Pastors in US Share Similar Experiences of Racism (VOANEWS)
By Elizabeth Lee, June 10, 2020, voanews.com LOS ANGELES - Steve Adarkwa grew up in Ghana. What he saw on television shaped his image of America. “Beautiful streets (and) beautiful people. I'd never seen racism before because I was coming from a country where everything was African,” Adarkwa remembered. Living in the United States as a black man shattered the glamorized image portrayed on TV. “I actually saw the intensity of racism or racial divide in this country,” said Adarkwa. He said he...
Blog Post
A Better Normal Friday, June 19th at Noon PDT: LGBTQ+ Identity and Race in the US: An Intersectional Discussion On Historical and Generational Trauma
Please join us for the ongoing community discussion of A Better Normal, our ongoing series in which we envision the future as trauma-informed. LGBTQ+ Identity and Race in the US: An Intersectional Discussion On Historical and Generational Trauma With Panelists Rev. Dr. D. Mark Wilson and Alexander Cho, Ph.D., Moderated by ACEs Connection staff members Jenna Quinn and Alison Cebulla Friday, June 19th, 2020 Noon to 1pm, PT (3pm to 4pm ET) >>Click here to register<< Please join us...
Blog Post
PNC Commits More Than $1B to End Systemic Racism, Support Economic Empowerment (abf journal)
June 19, 2020, Industry News. PNC committed more than $1 billion to help end systemic racism and support economic empowerment of African Americans and low- and moderate-income communities. “We are living in one of the most important civil rights movements of our time. Each of us has a role to play in combatting racism and discrimination, and PNC is committed to driving real change in areas in which we can make the greatest impact,” William S. Demchak, chairman, president and CEO of PNC,...
Blog Post
Returning to the Great Mother to Heal Historical Trauma
My early life was defined by deep emotional pain and turmoil. In exchange for all that I endured, I was gifted reunification with the Motherland. As a young person, I stood on the same shore where my ancestors lost their freedom as the clear blue ocean water licked my feet and enticed me with her beauty. It was an anointing. Finally, I was home. For the past 27 years, I have been deeply submerged in West African culture. Throughout that time, I have lived on and off the Continent; spending...
Blog Post
In historic move, North Carolina city approves reparations for Black residents (USA Today)
By Joel Burgess, July 15, 2020, ASHEVILLE CITIZEN TIMES. ASHEVILLE, N.C. – In an extraordinary move, the Asheville City Council has apologized for the North Carolina city's historic role in slavery, discrimination and denial of basic liberties to Black residents and voted to provide reparations to them and their descendants. The 7-0 vote came the night of July 14. "Hundreds of years of Black blood spilled that basically fills the cup we drink from today," said Councilman Keith Young, one of...
Blog Post
Loss of Cultural Identity Part 1; HUGE Number of Blacks in America Carry Slave Names
Over the next few days, I am going to provide a little food for thought about the loss of cultural identity that has profoundly impacted Africans across the Diaspora. Remember that the descendants of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade that live off of the Continent, are perhaps the only collective in the world that does not know their origin. We are African, but Africa is a continent of fifty-two countries with thousands of different cultures and dialects. Today’s micro-discussion is on names.
Blog Post
Loss of Cultural Identity Part 2; Illegal to Practice Traditional Religion in Benin Republic, West Africa until 1992
Over the next few days, I am going to provide a little food for thought about the loss of cultural identity that has profoundly impacted Africans across the Diaspora. Remember that the descendants of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade that live off of the Continent, are perhaps the only collective in the world that does not know their origin. We are African, but Africa is a continent of fifty-four countries with thousands of different cultures and dialects. Today’s micro-discussion is on...
Blog Post
Reclaiming African Herbalism as an Act of Resistance (yesmagazine.org)
I was fairly new to the study of plant medicine when I was introduced to herbalist Sade Musa, who leads the community education and healing project Roots of Resistance . Part of my commitment to self-care and reducing harm meant getting in touch with Mother Earth and learning to seek her out in moments of overwhelm, but it was frustrating that most of the traditions I was being introduced to were European or repackaged indigenous practices. I was starting to feel like the only way to get in...
Blog Post
Michigan mothers band together to help keep Black children with autism safe (Click on Detroit)
By Kim DeGiulio, and Dane Kelly, August 6, 2020, ClickonDetroit. DETROIT – During this period, many parents of color have had tough conversations with their children. For some, that conversation is even trickier as their children are living with autism. Some parents have banded together to help keep their children safe. Camille Proctor learned that her son Ari had autism in 2008 and immediately sought out support groups to help guide her . “There were no support groups that could identify...
Blog Post
California moves to consider reparations for slavery (Mercury News)
By Don Thompson, August SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers are setting up a task force to study and make recommendations for reparations to African Americans, particularly the descendants of slaves, as the nation struggles again with civil rights and unrest following the latest shooting of a Black man by police. The state Senate supported creating the nine-member commission on a bipartisan 33-3 vote Saturday. The measure returns to the Assembly for a final vote before lawmakers...
Blog Post
My Story
My story began as I was born to an unwed African American teen mother. She had my brother when she was 14 and had me at the age of 16. I vaguely remember the house that I was born in down south. Blacks were not allowed to be born in the hospital at that time so we made use of midwives. My grandfather shot my dad twice in the back with a 22 caliber handgun. He was chasing him away from our house because he told him to stay away from my mother. Shortly thereafter we were kicked out of the...
Blog Post
Communities of Opportunity Invites Proposals for Black-led Systems and Policy Change (Best Start)
RFP Announcement - King Co Washington state. Proposals are requested for the 2021 grant year. Communities of Opportunity (COO) commits $725,000 to systems and policy change projects led by and for Black communities in King County. Eligible partnerships of Black-led (including African descent and diaspora) organizations working on systems and policy change in the Black community may apply for funding through this Request for Proposal. In June 2020 King County Executive Dow Constantine and...
Blog Post
Food Insecurity and the Risk of Obesity, Depression, and Self-Rated Health in Women (Women’s Health Report)
By Sydney K. Willis,1,* Sara E. Simonsen,2 Rachael B. Hemmert,2 Jami Baayd,2 Kathleen B. Digre,3 and Cathleen D. Zick4. Women’s Health Reports Volume 1.1, 2020 DOI: 10.1089/whr.2020.0049 Accepted May 21, 2020. Abstract Background/Introduction/Objective: Recent studies have shown that food insecurity is associated with obe- sity, depression, and other adverse health outcomes although little research has been focused on these relation- ships in underrepresented cultural and social groups. In...
Blog Post
Funding opportunity: COO Black Led Systems and Policy Change
Proposals are due by Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 5 P.M. (PST). Communities of Opportunity (COO) commits $725,000 to system and policy change projects led by and for Black communities in King County. Eligible partnerships of Black-led (including African descent and diaspora) organizations working on systems and policy change in Black communities may apply for funding through this Request for Proposals. Organizations must apply in partnerships of two or more working towards a common outcome.
Blog Post
Reviving a Crop and an African-American Culture, Stalk by Stalk (nytimes.com)
SAPELO ISLAND, Ga. — Fall is cane syrup season in pockets of the Deep South, where people still gather to grind sugar cane and boil its juice into dark, sweet syrup in iron kettles big enough to bathe in. This autumn, no cane syrup has been more significant than the batches Maurice Bailey and his friends made from the first purple ribbon sugar cane grown here on Sapelo Island since the 1800s. The 11-mile-long barrier island is home to the Salt Water Geechees , who can trace an unbroken line...
Blog Post
5 Things You May Not Know About Kwanzaa (history.com)
1. Kwanzaa is less than 60 years old. Maulana Karenga, a Black nationalist who later became a college professor, created Kwanzaa as a way of uniting and empowering the African African community in the aftermath of the deadly Watts Rebellion . Having modeled his holiday on traditional African harvest festivals, he took the name “Kwanzaa” from the Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.” The extra “a” was added, Karenga has said, simply to accommodate seven children at...
Blog Post
How an appliance technician’s conversation about race resonated around the world (abcnews.go.com)
Ernest Skelton, an appliance technician, was answering a routine call to Caroline Brock’s home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, when they shared a conversation about racial inequality that would resonate across the U.S. and around the world. During his visit, Brock ventured to ask Skelton how he was doing. At first, he thought she was talking about the coronavirus, but she specified that she was curious about his experience as a Black man in the U.S. She posted about their interaction on...
Blog Post
Employee Impact: Making Health Care More Equitable for the African American/Black Communities of Portland (CAMBIA)
February 2, 2021 This post is part of a series that highlights Cambia’s unique Board Placement program, which works to match company employees with nonprofit organizations looking to grow their board of directors. A key part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility approach to giving, the board placement program has become one of the most impactful ways Cambia strengthens local communities and supports employees in their own volunteerism. North by Northeast Community Health Center...
Blog Post
Anti-Racism Resources List
Racial Trauma, Historical Trauma & Healing 44 Mental Health Resources for Black People Trying to Survive in This Country www.self.com ACEs Connection ACEs Science & Racism Resources Center 3 Realms of ACEs ACEs & African Americans Community on ACEs Connection ACEs teach us why racism is a health equity Issue: Dr. Flojaune Cofer (Part One) Racing ACEs Gathering & Reflections; If it's not racially just; it's not trauma-informed Adverse Community Experiences and Resilience: A...
Member
Ruth Hickmon
Member
Antonia Apolinario Wilcoxon
Blog Post
The Roll Out of LEVEL 2- Historical Trauma Specialist Certification
LEVEL 2 HISTORICAL TRAUMA SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION MARCH 2022!!! The wait is finally over! Iya Affo and Heal Historical Trauma will present: Historical Trauma Specialist Certification- LEVEL 2: A Neurological, Environmental & Cultural Perspective on March 1st & 2nd 2022. LEVEL 2 will cover the following: Neurological implications of Historical Trauma and how to align neurobiology with desired behavioral outcomes. Indigenous Attachment Theory Understanding the injurious relationship...
Blog Post
T-Shirts to Support the Legacy of REAL Female Warriors Depicted in Black Panther Movie
In The Black Panther movie, we marveled over Okoye and her magnificent band of the Dora Milaje, powerful female warriors. In this true-to-life depiction, Wakanda is Dahomey, present day, Benin, West Africa. Okoye is a famous female warrior and forgotten queen named Queen Hangbe who lead the most powerful army in West Africa fighting against the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, the MINO also known as the Amazon Women of Dahomey. Today, we are remembering their brilliance, fierceness, discipline...
Blog Post
Historical Trauma Specialist Certification Level-1
HEAL HISTORICAL TRAUMA & Iya Affo PRESENT: The Historical Trauma Specialist Certification- Level 1 is a comprehensive understanding of Historical Trauma from a multicultural lens. The training is designed for participants serving, leading, advocating and working with people of color. It is the perfect training for people in a variety of disciplines as well as multicultural families and for anyone with the desire to understand the impact of slavery, genocide and colonization. The course...
Blog Post
The Roll Out of LEVEL 2- Historical Trauma Specialist Certification
LEVEL 2 HISTORICAL TRAUMA SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION MARCH 2022!!! The wait is finally over! Iya Affo and Heal Historical Trauma will present: Historical Trauma Specialist Certification- LEVEL 2: A Neurological, Environmental & Cultural Perspective on March 1st & 2nd 2022. LEVEL 2 will cover the following: Neurological implications of Historical Trauma and how to align neurobiology with desired behavioral outcomes. Indigenous Attachment Theory Understanding the injurious relationship...
Blog Post
Black History Month 2K22- NEW Trainings!
In Honor of Black History Month 2k22 Please Enjoy the Following NEW Trainings: Facilitating a Full Expression of Resilience: BIPOC are resilient. In learning how trauma is formed and passed from one generation to the next in our communities, we will understand how to facilitate a full expression of resilience in vulnerable communities. This course takes a deep dive into the reality of flight or fight mode and how many people enduring oppression, discrimination and hate live with a constant...
Member
Johanna Bernard
Blog Post
Our Ancestors Knew; African American Journey of Historical Trauma
Standing on top of Ogun Mountain, in the Sacred City of 41 Mountains, West Africa, I knew my life would forever change. The women from the royal house danced for me. The men drummed me into a trance. They called me by my African name as they welcomed me home. On the soil of my ancestors, the healing began. I am a black woman born in the 1970’s. Nine generations ago, my ancestors were on the continent of Africa inhabiting the Kingdom of Dahomey. We were thriving. Unbeknownst to most, we were...
Blog Post
Black Joy in Pursuit of Racial Justice (yesmagazine.org)
Author: TRACEY MICHAE’L LEWIS-GIGGETTS article, Black Joy in Pursuit of Racial Justice I’ve been longing to talk about all the ways in which these last couple of years have been so much of a gift for me. And yet I struggle with holding that fact in the same space with all the ways these last couple of years have challenged the very core of who I am as a human being and the way I navigate this world as a Black woman. And yet, in writing my book Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience,...
Blog Post
48-Hour Historical Trauma Specialist Certification Program- COHORT 1 & 2
NOT TOO LATE FOR COHORT 1!! Also registering for COHORT 2!! New!! 48-HOUR HISTORICAL TRAUMA SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION in collaboration with THE INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL TRAUMA ASSOCIATION We are the only entity offering a comprehensive, 48-hour Historical Trauma Specialist Certification Program. The Program is broken into 6 levels and is built on a foundation of BIPOC cultures and neurobiology. It is taught from a multicultural perspective, injecting traditions and ideology from various...