A call for peace and racial equity! That was the focus of MATC’s National Day of Racial Healing event.
Dr. Joy Angela DeGruy—Professor, Researcher, Social Worker and Author of the book, ¨Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of enduring injury and healing” spoke at the event. She addressed the lasting impact of slavery and a path to healing. Dr. DeGruy shared how the historical sculpture of the Statue of Liberty in New York City held secrets, hidden in plain sight, until she scratched beneath the surface and made changes to the chains beneath Lady Liberty’s feet, bringing what was once hidden in darkness to be featured into the light. ¨The chains should be shown.” Dr. DeGruy said. As she shared her impactful success in that venture, she was adamant in her message that “Healing starts with acknowledging what happened.”
Dr. DeGruy´s fight for the chains to remain is rooted in the key element of racial healing being the core of racial equity. She expressed a call of action to not be naive in a society where separation has become dehumanized and to step up for spaces of authenticity. It was shared that the realities of being Black in America left a stigma that Dr. DeGruy identified as Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS).
She describes the disorder as a bad image that sticks, takes away, hides and overbears the good and growth of the community of color. “Nobody wants to see the good, or at least the bad realities cover up the good. . .The seared into the consciousness image is a conversation that needs to be had,¨ she said. This tough subject was met with real footage of teachers mistreating children of color in schools today. As the horrific videos played, Dr. DeGruy continued with a thought provoking quote, “Nothing weighs more than a secret.” She then showed an example of what a great teacher looks like, as she was celebrated by a diverse group of students for her birthday. Witnessing the realities of these videos, Dr. DeGruy made an imperative statement to believe the children when they’re saying something is wrong at school.
As we celebrate Black History Month, the MATC community is being called to action. By acknowledging the reasons why this syndrome exists, embracing people of color, showing the good that often goes unnoticed and stepping up can lead to racial healing and change. “There’s a call for a new system, it won’t happen overnight,” Dr. DeGruy concluded.
