Trauma and Repair

Annie Stopford, Ph.D., is independent scholar.

Stopford provides a sometimes stark, oftentimes heart-breaking, and consistently informative 'eyes wide open' look at the consequences of community violence and racial segregation in the US. It is likely tempting for some to consider segregation in this country a thing of the past. But, as this author so clearly shows, segregation still comes in all shapes and sizes and involves much more than physical barriers or written policies. This book is not—nor should it be—an easy read. But Stopford employs a toolkit of psychological and sociological observations with adeptness and clarity to reveal the clinical and sociological impacts of marginalization, trauma, violence, and economic disparity. The narratives shared by Stopford's respondents are rich and moving, revealing lived experiences in Baltimore, Maryland; Oakland, California; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Elainen, Arkansas. These are presented as real narratives—not "general" but instead, and more importantly, unvarnished and pure. Stopford's use of this technique offers readers a clear foray into past injustice and a realistic assessment of current injustice, allowing her to show not only what needs to be done to end such systemic trauma in the present but also how we might begin to repair the damage already done. A must read for students, instructors, and all others, across the board! Highly recommended.

• AcknowledgmentsForeword by William Julius WilsonIntroductionChapter One: Psychosocial Research: An Intersubjective ApproachChapter Two: Trauma, Violence, and SegregationChapter Three: Segregation and Complex Trauma: Baltimore, Past and PresentChapter Four: Oakland’s Trauma Zones Chapter Five: Elaine, Arkansas: The Multigenerational Legacy of White SupremacyChapter Six: “Y’ all know it’s not fixed”: Violence in New OrleansConclusion: Injury and RepairReferencesIndexAbout the Author