By Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle
In Search of Black Power challenges conventional narratives around Black policy, Black movements, and Black Life. We focus on creating a new language to discuss the issues presenting Black America,
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The podcast currently has 98 episodes available.
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In this episode, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle Director of Research, Lawrence Grandpre, critiques the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) framework, showing how it centers Eurocentric norms of trauma—focusing on individual and family experiences—while neglecting African-centered views of cultural and political trauma.
We discuss how institutional responses to ACEs in Black communities often blame the community and rely on clinical interventions, instead of addressing the collective conditions of oppression that lead to childhood trauma. Drawing on The Body Keeps the Score, we argue that trauma-informed approaches can reflect the politics of whiteness, encouraging children to pathologize their parents rather than seeing them as victims of racialized oppression.
We also examine troubling elements in trauma solutions, such as partnerships with police and reactionary martial arts training, and how childhood trauma assessments have been used to justify predictive policing against Black youth.
Ultimately, we reveal how the ACEs framework risks pathologizing Black communities under the guise of liberatory politics, echoing stereotypes from the Progressive Eugenics Movement. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of revolutionary body movements, like Capoeira Angola, and social movements in fostering the collective agency needed to move beyond trauma-informed politics.
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In Search of Black Power is a Black-owned internet show and podcast. This podcast is sponsored and produced by Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS).
The internet show is published in collaboration with Black Liberation Media (BLM)
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Bessel van der Kolk's The Body Keeps the Score has become a global sensation, shaping mental health services and public conversations by centering trauma. Originally aimed at improving doctor-patient relationships, trauma-informed analysis has evolved into a political tool, with some advocating for its use in resource allocation to historically oppressed communities. But can focusing on a community's trauma truly empower them? Many grassroots Black practitioners are now questioning the emphasis on trauma in discussions about serving the Black community.
In this multipart series, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle’s Director of Research, Lawrence Grandpre, introduces van der Kolk’s ideas, contrasting his view of trauma with African-centered concepts of communal and political trauma. Eurocentric, individualistic views of trauma often obscure more complex, holistic understandings of wellness. We also critique a key defense of trauma-informed care, arguing that claims of “objective” neurological effects of trauma reflect cultural and political biases more than scientific fact.
This analysis warns that centering trauma risks pushing oppressed people to politicize their suffering in order to elicit guilt and political concessions, ultimately glorifying trauma rather than fostering community-driven solutions. Trauma-informed politics can place decisions about how Black communities should address trauma into the hands of white liberal institutions, diverting focus from Black self-determination as the long-term solution to the root causes of trauma.
Support the show
In Search of Black Power is a Black-owned internet show and podcast. This podcast is sponsored and produced by Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS).
The internet show is published in collaboration with Black Liberation Media (BLM)
Send us a text
African-centered Rites of Passage is a cultural practice and intervention that uses traditional African culture to facilitate the transition of young people to adulthood. Andre "Akintola" Turner, with over 20 years of experience in education and public health, provides an in-depth analysis of this practice through the Baltimore Rites of Passage Initiative. As a Senior Program Trainer Coach with the University of Maryland Social Work Positive Schools Center, he collaborates with school leaders to offer professional development for school staff, transforming school environments and climate.Support the show
In Search of Black Power is a Black-owned internet show and podcast. This podcast is sponsored and produced by Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS).
The internet show is published in collaboration with Black Liberation Media (BLM)
Send us a text
In part two of our podcast analysis of Heather McGhee’s book “The Sum of Us,” hosted by Lawrence Grandpre, we use a historical lens to examine the effectiveness of multiracial positive-sum politics. We challenge McGhee’s argument that multiracial coalitions can effectively address global warming, showing that the history of political advocacy complicates this view. Her analysis risks justifying the exploitation of Africa in pursuit of the green revolution, thereby expanding American economic and political imperialism. Additionally, centering positive-sum frames can pathologize Black freedom fighters who demand a zero-sum trade-off between white and Black power. We counter the myth of political ineffectiveness of these approaches by highlighting the example of Robert Williams.
Support the show
In Search of Black Power is a Black-owned internet show and podcast. This podcast is sponsored and produced by Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS).
The internet show is published in collaboration with Black Liberation Media (BLM)
Send us a text
Heather McGee’s book, The Sum of Us, is touted as a new approach to racial justice. Her arguments, showcased from TED Talks to late-night shows, suggest that framing investments in Black communities as beneficial for everyone can counter white backlash. However, this emotional appeal to multiracial coalitions undermines Black autonomy by decentering demands for Black power, accepting interest convergence, and portraying benefits to white people from pro-Black policies as necessary and desirable.
Using South Africa and critiques of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, we challenge McGee’s claim that racial reconciliation in America can occur without fundamentally redistributing resources.
Support the show
In Search of Black Power is a Black-owned internet show and podcast. This podcast is sponsored and produced by Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS).
The internet show is published in collaboration with Black Liberation Media (BLM)
Send us a text
In this episode, Lawrence explores the intersections of race and economic redistribution.
Advocates of "race-neutral" economic redistribution policies have rebranded them as "race-conscious," asserting that policies like baby bonds and Universal Basic Income (UBI) would disproportionately benefit Black people while mitigating political backlash.
This discussion exposes the limitations of such an approach. Drawing on historical context and current policies, we delve into the necessity of race-conscious strategies to achieve genuine economic equity.
Support the show
In Search of Black Power is a Black-owned internet show and podcast. This podcast is sponsored and produced by Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS).
The internet show is published in collaboration with Black Liberation Media (BLM)
Send us a text
In May 2023, Baltimore’s City Council unanimously voted to establish the Community Reinvestment and Reparations Commission to oversee the distribution of funds granted by the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, making Baltimore City the first jurisdiction in Maryland to establish a commission like this. In this episode Dayvon Love, Director of Public Policy for Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, will explain the importance of this commission and how vital reparations and reinvestment are in Baltimore.
Support the show
In Search of Black Power is a Black-owned internet show and podcast. This podcast is sponsored and produced by Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS).
The internet show is published in collaboration with Black Liberation Media (BLM)
Send us a text
In this thought-provoking interview, Dayvon speaks with Shawna Murray-Browne, founder of Kindred Wellness, about the intersection of African spirituality and revolutionary struggles for Black Liberation.
With a wealth of knowledge and experience as a healer, therapist, and community leader, Shawna shares valuable insights into the ways in which traditional African spiritual practices can provide practical tools and strategies for resistance and liberation in the face of systemic oppression.
From embracing the power of ancestral wisdom to cultivating a sense of collective purpose and connection, this interview offers a unique perspective on the role of spirituality in social justice movements.
Support the show
In Search of Black Power is a Black-owned internet show and podcast. This podcast is sponsored and produced by Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS).
The internet show is published in collaboration with Black Liberation Media (BLM)
Send us a text
Lawrence and Rasheem discuss the intersection of environmentalism and racism in the United States. They explore the ways in which environmental racism has become a key focus of anti-racist discourse and organizing, drawing on the influential book "Dumping in Dixie" by Robert Bullard.
Through a critical analysis of legal strategies and grassroots organizing, they offer insights into the dangers of "professionalizing" social movements and discuss the importance of rejecting false dichotomies between economic growth and environmental protection. Above all, they center Black community self-determination as the key to a truly just and sustainable future.
Support the show
In Search of Black Power is a Black-owned internet show and podcast. This podcast is sponsored and produced by Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS).
The internet show is published in collaboration with Black Liberation Media (BLM)
Send us a text
In this interview, Dayvon Love sits down with Jamye Wooten, the founder and CEO of CLLCTIVLY, to explore the critical need for collective economic development and narrative change to challenge myths of Black pathology in our communities.
Jamye shares insights into his work with CLLCTIVLY, an organization committed to supporting and amplifying Black-led social change initiatives. Through his experiences and expertise, Jamye emphasizes the importance of creating sustainable networks, building collective power, and promoting equity and justice in all areas of society.
Support the show
In Search of Black Power is a Black-owned internet show and podcast. This podcast is sponsored and produced by Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS).
The internet show is published in collaboration with Black Liberation Media (BLM)
The podcast currently has 98 episodes available.
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