This is one of the hardest myths to shake. Experiencing trauma doesn’t mean you’re weak or damaged beyond repair. It means you’ve been through something hard – and your mind and body did what they had to do to protect…
If you’ve ever had someone say this to you, let me be clear: healing doesn’t follow a calendar. Trauma recovery isn’t about toughing it out or pretending it didn’t happen. It’s about learning how to feel safe again, piece by…
Nope. Trauma lives in your body, too. That racing heart when you hear a sudden noise, the tension in your shoulders, or even the way you avoid certain places – those can all be signs that your nervous system is…
Yes, major life-threatening events can cause trauma. But so can things like growing up in a home where you never felt safe, constantly being criticized, or losing someone you love. Trauma isn’t measured by the size of the event –…
Generational trauma, also called intergenerational trauma, occurs when the effects of a traumatic event experienced by one generation is passed down to their descendants. This trauma may be the result of war, slavery, colonization, forced migration, abuse or systemic oppression.…
Trauma does not always begin with us. Many of the emotional struggles, behavioral patterns, and even physical health challenges we face today can be rooted in events that occurred long before we were born. This is known as generational trauma—the transmission…
Battle of Cabin Creek The Battle of Cabin Creek, which occurred on July 1–2, 1863 in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), marked a significant milestone in United States history. It was the first instance in which African American soldiers—specifically, the First…
On Sunday, June 28, 1863, the sight of Black men marching to war against Confederate forces was still new in southern Pennsylvania. Unlike their comrades, the men digging trenches were not a formal military unit but volunteers in the home…
While writing Faces in the Smoke, I found the little-known Battle of Island Mound. 250 soldiers, many of whom belonged to the First Kansas (Colored) Volunteer Infantry, marched into Bates County, Missouri to break up a party of Rebel guerrillas operating…
The Honey Springs Battlefield website has an informative 26:48-minute video overviewing the events on July 17, 1863. The battle involved Black, White, Indian and Mexican soldiers, one of the most culturally diverse wars. This was especially important for the men of the…
