Black Men, Intergenerational Colonialism, and Behavioral Health

This book provides an in-depth historical exploration of the risk and protective factors that generate disproportionality in the psychological wellness, somatic health, and general safety of Black men in four industrialized Euronormative nations. It provides a detailed analysis of how nationalism, globalism, colonialism, and imperialism have facilitated practices, philosophies, and policies to support the development and maintenance of inter-generational systems of oppression for Black men and boys. The text juxtaposes empirically-supported constructs like historical trauma and epigenetics with current outcomes for Black men in the US, the UK, France and Canada. It details how contemporary institutions, practices, and policies (such as psychological testing, the school to prison pipeline, and over-incarceration) are reiterations of historic ones (such as convict leasing, debt peonage, and the Jim Crow laws). The text uses paleontological, archaeological, and anthropological research to cover over 200,000 years of history. It closes with strength-based paradigms aimed to dismantle oppressive structures, support the post-traumatic growth of Black men and boys, and enhance the systems and practitioners that serve them.

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