"This highly illuminating book offers an encyclopedic examination of the conditions that confront Black boys and men in the 21st Century. Cooper writes in a very understandable and comprehensible way that presents the everyday reader an opportunity to have a complicated topic within their reach. Black Men and Racial Trauma forces us to confront complex realities that many researchers have attempted to downplay as a rosier picture than the data in this book provides." William A. Smith, Ph.D., developer of the Racial Battle Fatigue framework, professor of Education, Culture & Society, University of Utah"This is a book like no other that I have read. It informs and horrifies about the pervasive effects of racism. We find definitions of racism and are educated about all the different kinds ranging from prejudice to systemic racism and anti-Black racism to white supremacy all embedded in a historical context. The effect of racism on mental and physical health, and on trauma, crime and mortality are all documented. Reading all this solidifies an understanding of the devastating effect of racism, based on empirically-based knowledge rather than on opinion. To add to all this, we are provided with a clinical understanding of racism on Black emotions, especially, shame and anger and helpful suggestions for interventions both psychotherapeutic and social. This is a book for the times."Leslie S. Greenberg, Ph.D., primary developer of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) distinguished research professor emeritus of Psychology, York University"Yamonte Cooper examines the unique ways in which structural racism harms Black men, particularly with respect to exposure to deadly violence and disproportionate downward mobility across generations. Marshalling the best available evidence from social science research, Cooper has produced an unparalleled study of the social injuries inflicted upon Black men and what steps should be taken to prevent continued damage."William A. ("Sandy") Darity Jr., Ph.D., professor of Public Policy, African American Studies, and Economics and the director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity, Duke University"The challenges of being a male of African descent in America continue to exert a profoundly negative impact on the experiences of Black people generally, but specifically Black males themselves. And yet, if those adversities are only understood at the level of the surface structure, then that analysis fails to capture the deep structured intricacies that impact Black men not only physically, but also psychologically. This text on Black Men and Racial Trauma expertly chronicles the fact that the disruption of Black Men's intellectual, emotional, behavioral, and spiritual sensibilities is not mere racial inconvenience or bias, but rather a more insidious form of traumatic psychic debilitation and dehumanization. Dr. Cooper doesn't leave the reader there but expands his narrative to include coping mechanisms Black men employ, and intervention strategies that clinicians, counselors, therapists, and others can use to help Black men not only cope but thrive. This text is a necessary addition to the arsenal on treating African descent people, and I would encourage and recommend that you absorb its content and consider implementing its recommendations."Thomas A. Parham, Ph.D., president of California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), past president of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi)"Cooper's text is probably the most important statement on the connection between race, gender, and stress since the appearance of Alvin Poussaint and Amy Anderson's 2001 study on the biological, medical and mental health correlates of race-related stress."William E. Cross Jr., Ph.D., developer of the Black racial identity development model of Nigrescence, professor emeritus of Higher Education and Counseling Psychology, University of Denver"Black Men and Racial Trauma: Impacts, Disparities, and Interventions is a survey that moves far beyond the usual identification and definition of racism to enter into the realms of healing and recovery. As such, its focus both compliments books already on the market and elevates the reader’s knowledge of racial trauma and its lasting, wide-ranging impact on Black men. Even more important, however, is its approach to recovery processes. As Yamonte Cooper, a licensed clinical counselor, navigates the milieu of racial bias and its deep-rooted wellsprings and impact, so he creates opportunities for dialogue and discovery that go above and beyond rote theory. In short: any collection covering cultural anthropology, racial bias, clinical healing, or trauma recovery should not only make Black Men and Racial Trauma a mainstay, but should keep it prominently displayed for recommendation to any patron interested in a deep analysis and applied mental healthcare that moves from individual experience and circumstance to broader racial concerns." D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review. "In Black Men and Racial Trauma: Impact, Disparities, and Interventions, author and scholar Yamonte Cooper offers a politically charged and critically thoughtful explication of the gendered-racialized environment and its psychosomatic effects on Black men. Cooper's thesis posits that the cumulative effects of Anti-Black misandry—institutionally and socioculturally inscribed, gendered Anti-Black racism—produces uniquely racialized trauma for this population. Beyond describing facts and figures, Cooper offers practical approaches to addressing mental health concerns of Black men. He advocates for the integrated model of racial trauma (IMRT) as both a framework for research and clinical use, providing a holistic framework that merges psychological, cultural, historical, and health perspectives supporting trauma-informed, culturally responsive practice. Written with clinical practitioners in mind, Dr. Cooper designed the text for all concerned with the sociocultural environment that negatively affects Black men's lives. This rigorous work empirically contextualizes the structural impact of racism and gender on Black men's collective life trajectories and overall health."Journal of Social Work"Dr. Yamonte Cooper’s Black Men and Racial Trauma: Impacts, Disparities and Interventions, is seminal. The breadth of his work is substantial and will open doors to further research across many disciplines as the nuanced reality of his scholarly work is explored. By highlighting racism, its profound meaning, widespread impact, and constant daily presence in the lives of Black men at all levels of society, he exposes the significant limitations of our current understanding of trauma. Black Men and Racial Trauma will be read and referenced by researchers and clinicians seeking to deepen, expand, and carry this important work forward. This book is written with clinicians in mind, but limiting its audience to them would be a mistake. It speaks to a much wider group. From Black individuals across genders who need to hear a voice that speaks to their reality, to undergraduate classes in sociology, psychology, and history, many would benefit from reading Black Men and Racial Trauma."Trauma Psychology News
