How Juneteenth might improve your mental health

The mere fact of federal observance of Juneteenth, a celebration of the end of slavery and freedom, can start the healing of generational trauma.

Transcript

00:00

That's what the mental health benefit is to say that their lives mattered, that it's because of them I'm here today.

00:29

In medicine, we always think we have to start at the root. Where does the disease process start? Not to treat the symptoms.

00:36

But what is actually the cause of this? We can talk about PTSD as far as post-traumatic stress disorder. But we also have to think about this as persistent

00:44

traumatic stress disorder that continues throughout the lineage of those persons who were enslaved,

00:51

their children, their children's children who are now living in today's society where we're still targeted by laws

00:59

that impact us. That's what today is. It's persistent traumatic stress disorder. And it should be recognized.

01:07

It should be supported to correct the system that led to at least to this trauma and to address

01:13

the root of it of what's causing this in the first place and put money and effort towards addressing

01:20

systemic racism and the impact it has on our society today.

01:31

Growing up, for African-Americans, we only heard about Black history, Black American history one time

01:41

throughout the year. That was during February. Especially for little Black and Brown children,

01:49

I think about the fact that I didn't have that as a kid. And in fact, when we talked about slavery,

01:55

it was always in a very kind of negative way that almost carried a cloak of shame.

02:04

But I think we're now-- African-Americans are really pushing to say it's not a cloak of shame. I'm very proud to be a descendant

02:11

of an enslaved person because I know how great they must have been in order to survive everything that they survived.

02:19

Without resources, through penalty of death, they still taught themselves how to read and write. They still created things that are influencing society

02:28

to this day.

02:35

What America truly is is a melting pot of all races, background, cultures. And that's what truly makes us great.