Racism (Page 2)

Racial trauma and healing. My book review of My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem follows many about this racial trauma and healing story. Rarely does just the right person follow his calling into a career that so richly matches his skills. Resmaa Menakem addresses the horrific imbalance that has reached a peak in our society, a breaking point in our divisiveness.

My Grandmother’s Hands discusses clearly our plight from the perspective of body-centered psychology. We discover a new way to understand the generational trauma of three specific groups of people. Those groups are white bodies, black bodies, and police bodies.

It is a fact that this book has been with us since 2017. And, yet at that time, we’d not yet reached our peak with violent clashes between the three groups.

Consider how, after George Floyd’s murder, the legal system took a while, but did at long last move in a new direction. The officer who coldly ignored Floyd’s pleas as his knee on Floyd’s neck stole Floyd’s life, was convicted of murder. Following that conviction, so many of us celebrated justice, at last.

In our current situation, this groundbreaking book is as, if not more, valuable today as when it was published. In fact, I’ve read many of the recent racial books; this one stands front and center at the top of that list. Menakem’s broad, deep research gives us a richer understanding of causes. More, it gives a clear healing plan and list of specific ways we can heal both ourselves and others.

Further, My Grandmother’s Hands will move you and show you how we can each move forward for the peace we seek. I think of Ram Dass’ words: we are all just walking each other home. Yet, in truth, how on earth have we strayed so far from that intention? Were we ever near it? Those answers I cannot, unfortunately, give you in full. Instead, I can tell you this book provides valuable tools, wisdom, an overall plan, and much more. Truly, I would give My Grandmother’s Hands 10 stars if I could. Menakem’s book is a beautiful, profound gift to us all.

To learn more about this exceptional author, go here. An excellent interview with the author by Krista Tippett, On Being, is here.