Abstract
Traumatic experiences can negatively impact the mental health of an individual. The effects of these experiences can distort how individu- als perceive the world and their existence in it. This impact can span across generations of people, as seen in Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome. According to DeGruy (2005), Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome is the effect of multigenerational oppression suffered by enslaved Africans and their descendants. This theory has uncovered the internalized racism that has damaged the self-esteem of African Americans. The damage in icted has created a struggle for African American college students to exist within America’s social institu- tions. This article is a historical literature analysis of the negative effects of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome on African American college students. Additionally, this article will discuss the need for healing in higher education and the practices that student affairs professionals can implement to encourage the success of Black students.
Recommended Citation
Womack, S. (2016). I Know I Can’t: The Negative Effects of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome’s on the well-being of African American college students. The Vermont Connection, 37(1). https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/tvc/vol37/iss1/15