Healing The Trauma of Racism

Over the last six months, ACT NOW with RU has explored the ways in which racism has traumatized humanity. This exploration was performed in a deeply personal manner and what surfaced was the distinct similarities in the varied trauma response of this diverse group, regardless of the specific triggering events.  We’ve had long-overdue conversations, learned about history never taught in school, searched for ways to dismantle the system of oppression and racism that still permeates the collective consciousness, and recognized the deep trauma racism has created.  Recognizing that we all share in this trauma may be the conversation that allows for us to strip away the impact of the triggers so that healthy discourse and true problem solving can occur.

We are committed to creating opportunities for our R U community to join this journey into understanding what has happened, what divides us, and what we can do about it.  We understand that change begins with knowledge and conversation. RU LOOKS INSIDE Impact Project Team has created this powerful event and successfully enlisted the involvement of several subject matter experts that will give us a powerful look inside this important topic.

On Thursday, December 17th at 7:00 pm, RU LOOKS INSIDE will host a Roundtable Discussion “Healing the Trauma of Racism” exploring trauma and how trauma and racism are connected.  We are very pleased that Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the foremost experts on trauma and bestselling author of The Body Keeps the Score, will lead us in Part 1 of our Roundtable Discussion following our own Reverend Glenn McIntosh’s welcome and opening prayer.

The Healing The Trauma of Racism panel includes:

Bessel van der Kolk, MD, Psychiatrist, Author, Educator

Licia Sky, Somatic Educator, Bodyworker, Artist and Musician

Julie Barron, M.A., Psychedelic Integration Therapist, President of The Michigan Psychedelic Society

Alexis Douglas, Anti-Racism Educator, Transformation Catalyst Coach with Ask Alexis

Dazee Love, Director of Music, Renaissance Unity

Reverend Glenn McIntosh, VP, Student Affairs, Chief Diversity Office for Oakland University

Vince Orlando, Actor, Writer, Producer, Entrepreneur, PTSD survivor

Lenise Whitfield, Licensed Financial Professional, Entrepreneur

Our Roundtable Moderators:

Angela Blanchard, Occupational Therapist

Phil Reid, Mentor, University Unions Director of Maintenance, University of Michigan

To listen to the Roundtable and ask questions, register here and we will email you the link to join us!