"…it is inside our bodies where this conflict needs to be resolved; that 'the vital force [behind] white supremacy is in our nervous systems.'"

Excerpt: "In the end, it will not be enough that adult experts declare schools “safe”. In the final, trauma-informed analysis, each child in their own body, brainstem, limbic system and HPA axis, must feel safe. They must be part of the task force. If the children don’t feel safe, it is all for naught."

The film "Cracked Up" features Darrell Hammond's childhood struggles with trauma and their lifelong impacts. From IMDb, It's the "incredible story of actor, comedian, master impressionist and Saturday Night Live veteran, Darrell Hammond." This Free screening will be followed immediately by a Q & A with veteran trauma therapists Ricky Schermond, LCSW from Philadelphia Children’s Alliance, and Gestalt therapist Karen Ginsburg, LSCW, LMT

Riveting and emotional: The full, first-ever Congressional hearing on “Identifying, Preventing, and Treating Childhood Trauma” by the Oversight Committee chaired by Representative Elijah Cummings. Across the hearing, the story of developmental trauma is well-conveyed and powerful.

Oprah does a great job emphasizing the change required to the perspective of adults in the way we try to understand — from the old, judgmental “What’s wrong with you?” to the more appropriate, insightful and caring question “What happened to you?”

It can be hard for us outsiders to battle "disaster fatigue." Still, 21 days after the disaster, which was well predicted 10 days before that (a month ago, in total) -- and we can not figure it out? People are still waiting hours in line for 'food': "What I got was 3 bottles of water and 4 cans of Pringles." Most with no sanitation, no power, no running water, no cell communication, one thousand, five-hundred roads out -- "What are you going to do today, t.o.d.a.y.?" is never answered.

When you look inside a classroom, there are some things you cannot see . . .

If schools are to be guided by data, the data says more than 2 of 3 children experience at least one ACE: children of all incomes, all colors, all social levels, all educational levels. It is all of us. Is your school trauma-informed?

We are trying to scoop water out of a boat which has gaping trauma-holes in the bottom.

PSAs designed to help grow awareness of the impacts of developmental or 'childhood' trauma. All the narratives are about real kids (with pseudonyms) who are trauma-impacted. These are not "combined" or imaginary narratives, nor caricatures.

"Attorney General Eric Holder launched a program in 2010 called Defending Childhood, and last week Holder announced the launch of “Changing Minds,” to help adults heal children exposed to trauma.

Repeated ‘fight, flight or freeze’ brain-use causes Maria’s natural, neurobiological defenses to develop into deeply ingrained pathways in her young, developing brain — after the immediate threat is gone, the dysfunctional, anti-social behaviors can linger, can frustrate, can be retriggered over many years. Trauma-Informed adults CAN make a difference.

LucidWitness blogposts are designed for social media to help grow awareness of developmental trauma among your network(s).

Effective education 'reform' is student-centered

Developmental trauma changes the architecture of the physical brain, ability to learn and social behavior. It impacts two out of three children, but I didn’t even know what it was…

How much do you know about Childhood Trauma? Got 30 seconds ?

How much do you know about Childhood Trauma? Got 30 seconds ?

How much do you know about Childhood Trauma? Got 30 seconds?

How much do you know about Childhood Trauma? Got 30 seconds?

                    Photo credit Max Klingensmith at  flickr . Jose was one of the calmest, quietest, most peaceful boys in the classroom.  The kind of boy everybody loves.    ...

 Peek Inside a Classroom                 © Elliot Gilfix/Flickr     .     What happened to Jasmine ? .     .       .   Jasmine was one of my...

  Common Sense   Millions of injured children whose pleas are not being heard are waiting at the intersection of the  “Defending Childhood” Report  from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Congress’s rewrite...

PA BUDGET VETOED!  Another chance at 11th hour. Help bring a national spotlight to create awareness and get action on childhood trauma. Yes, we still have a chance -- amazing ! -- to have the General Assembly explicitly acknowledge the impact of...

  A heartfelt tip of the hat to the Basic Education Funding Commission (BEFC) of Pennsylvania! They have led us to a place in history where we get to be part of the “tipping point” of a dramatic turn toward educational equity.  ...

This is an edited version of a comment I added to a blog post by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey  about a "Culture of Health".   In a culture of health, one root of the vision begins in public schools. [Associated Press photo] Last week, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation CEO  Risa Lavizzo-Mourey shared a vision for "A Culture of Health". It's a vision that requires a "seismic shift" in perspective and values, to be built grassroots from the ground up, she...

"Local Control" for Philadelphia School District . . . Philadelphians making progress towards accountability for our own Public School system.   Important discussions and decisions must start prior to "election day". Why have our Urban schools...

This is about a major education paradigm shift. It is NOT about charter schools.  The growing number of schools that the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) has handed over to charter operators is sad. The district’s “failing”...