The traumatic history of African Americans, how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) compound multi-generational trauma, and what hope looks like are considered in this podcast.

Three experts from the Centers for Disease Control, the National Child Traumatic Stress Center, NC State University, and a local Head Start Program provide evidenced-based information on ACES, historical trauma and bias, and how hope and resilience play a role in mitigating these hardships in African American families. Listen to learn about adjustments practitioners can make to improve trust and inclusiveness in programs services.

Experts speaking on the podcast, listed in order of their comments:

Melissa Merrick, PhD

Former behavioral scientist in the Division of Violence Prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Current President and CEO – Prevent Child Abuse America  https://preventchildabuse.org/team/melissa-merrick/

Isaiah Pickens, PhD

Assistant Director of Service Systems at the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress at UCLA
https://www.isaiahpickens.com/about/

Founder, iOpening Enterprises, a mental health and wellness education company
http://www.iopeningenterprises.com/

Deric Boston, MSW, LCSW

Senior Lecturer, NC State University School of Social Work
Assistant Director and Mental Health Consultant, Durham County Head Start and Early Head Start
https://socialwork.news.chass.ncsu.edu/2014/04/26/faculty-highlight-professor-deric-boston/

Resources mentioned in the podcast:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ACE Study
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html

The Philadelphia ACE Survey
http://www.philadelphiaaces.org/philadelphia-ace-survey

U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee
https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm
Read more about this study conducted on black men from 1932 until 1973 by the U.S. Public Health Service.

Resources used in the development of the podcast:

African American History Timeline: 1619 – 2008
https://friendsnrc.org/wp-content/uploads/african-american-history-timeline.pdf

Spotlight on Culture – Conversations about Historical Trauma: Part Two, Summer 2013. National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

Part Two in a series on historical trauma outlines how historical trauma has impacted African Americans who are descendants of enslaved Africans.

Parts One and Three in this series are also available:
Part One outlines how historical trauma has impacted American Indian children and families and how services for these children and families should consider not only their present circumstances and personal trauma histories, but also historical trauma.

Part Three explores the experience of survivors of the Jewish Holocaust, the Japanese American WWII camps, and key events affecting Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

Are We Talking Enough About the Black Middle Class? By Charles Ellison in the April 13, 2015 Pacific Standard. https://psmag.com/news/are-we-talking-enough-about-the-black-middle-class

Dr. Isaiah Pickens, clinical psychologist, founder and CEO of iOpening Enterprises, facilitates an important discussion with two of his colleagues, Dr. Riana Anderson, Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan, School of Public Health, and Dr. Shawn C.T. Jones, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University.

The third and final podcast of this three-part series Historical Trauma Among African Americans, Radical Healing, and Resilience addresses the outstanding resilience demonstrated by black families in the United States during a long history of traumatic events. Practitioners can affirm the resilience of black youth and help youth see the power they have in their own lives and to make change in society.

Thank you to Isaiah Pickens for collaborating with your colleagues and organizing and facilitating the discussion for this series. More about iOpening Enterprises and Dr. Isaiah Pickens, its founder and CEO, can be found here: https://www.iopeningenterprises.com/.