Resmaa Menakem — ‘Notice the Rage; Notice the Silence’

Racial Trauma

Resmaa Menakem explores the deep-seated trauma embedded in racial experiences, emphasizing the role of the vagus nerve in processing these traumas. He explains how this nerve, which connects various parts of the body, plays a crucial role in our gut reactions and emotional responses. Menakem illustrates this with a personal anecdote about recognizing emotional cues in his grandmother's voice, highlighting how trauma manifests physically and emotionally 1.

The vagal nerve is very important... it wanders the whole body, right? And I believe it's one of the things why we have gut reactions.

--- Resmaa Menakem

He also discusses the historical trauma in Black bodies, tracing its roots to the brutalization during the Dark Ages and how it has been perpetuated through societal structures 2.

   

Intergenerational Trauma

Intergenerational trauma is a central theme in Resmaa Menakem's work, where he examines how trauma is passed down through generations, affecting both individuals and communities. He highlights the science of epigenetics, which shows that trauma and resilience can be inherited across up to 14 generations, impacting the nervous systems of descendants 3. This inherited trauma often becomes decontextualized, appearing as personality traits or cultural norms.

Trauma decontextualized in a person looks like personality. Trauma decontextualized in a family looks like family traits. Trauma in a people looks like culture.

--- Resmaa Menakem

Menakem shares a poignant story about his grandmother's experiences picking cotton, illustrating how historical trauma is carried in the body and voice, even when the context is lost 4.