The Generational Trauma of Being Black Women: Tracing Pain, Memory and Survival of Black Women’s History

The generational trauma experienced by Black women in America reveals the scars of their painful history of slavery, systemic racism and patriarchal oppression. During the era of American enslavement Black women experienced the severe hardships of the most brutal aspects of slavery including forced labour, sexual abuse, segregation from families and the loss of identity and culture. Throughout American slavery, enslaved people especially women encountered the most merciless side of white supremacy. These physical and emotional wounds have been carried forward generationally shaping the lived experience of womanhood. The untold stories of many Black women disclose not only their experiences as victims but also their unseen courage, resilience, remembrance and ceaseless survival spirit. Through real-life narratives and literature, the exploration highlights how trauma constructs Black identity, motherhood and feminist consciousness in contemporary society.