When hearing the word “trauma,” many of us have been conditioned to immediately think of something negative. Something that will have negative effects on our life, that we have no control over, and that requires healing. The word often brings connotations of victimhood, pathology, and shame.

Last week, my organization, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), released two new Strengthening Families resources in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the stress that families and service providers are currently facing: One for parents and caregivers, the other for providers who work with families.

Recently, a friend shared with me that her friend’s son died by the act of suicide. He was 22 years old and African American. According to the mother, there were no warning signs to consider; everything in her son’s world appeared normal and intact. Hearing my friend share that tragic news was shocking to me. I supposed that I, along with many African Americans, have inadvertently contributed to perpetuating the myth that “African Americans don’t kill themselves.”  The reality is that African Americans, like any other ethnic group, are at risk for suicide. African Americans do kill themselves.  

The American Academy of Pediatrics cites toxic stress as one of today’s greatest threats to children’s health, and what threatens a child’s health also threatens the health and well-being of the family.