Resmaa Menakem

Racialized trauma expert Resmaa Menakem discusses somatic abolitionism, clean vs. dirty pain, historical trauma healing, and the role of white people in anti-racist efforts. Emphasizes the importance of embodied practices, confronting uncomfortable truths for transformation, and addressing racialized trauma in interactions. Explores hate groups, identity, ancestral wisdom, and the necessity of embodying change for future generations.

Across the past year, and now as the murder trial of Derek Chauvin unfolds with Minneapolis in fresh pain and turmoil, we return again to the grounding insights of Resmaa Menakem. He is a Minneapolis-based therapist and trauma specialist who activates the wisdom of elders, and very new science, about how all of us carry in our bodies the history and traumas behind everything we collapse into the word “race.” We offer up his intelligence on changing ourselves at a cellular level — practices towards the transformed reality most of us long to inhabit.Resmaa Menakem, MSW, LICSW, SEP, teaches workshops on Cultural Somatics for audiences of African Americans, European Americans, and police officers. He is also a therapist in private practice, and a senior fellow at The Meadows. His New York Times best-selling book is My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.This show originally aired June 4, 2020.

Therapist and social worker Resmaa Menakem discusses ancient fears, racialized trauma, and the importance of communal responses to trauma. The conversation delves into personal experiences with fear, intergenerational trauma, and the impact of unaddressed trauma on relationships and communities.

Through the ruptures of the past year and more, we’ve been given so much to learn, and callings to live differently. But how to do that, and where to begin? Resmaa Menakem’s book, My Grandmother's Hands, and his original insights into racialized trauma in all kinds of bodies, have offered new ways forward for us all. So we said yes when Resmaa proposed that he join On Being together with Robin DiAngelo. She has been a foremost white voice in our civilizational grappling with whiteness. This conversation is not comfortable, but it is electric and it opens possibility. Resmaa Menakem (MSW, LICSW, SEP) teaches workshops on Cultural Somatics for audiences of African Americans, European Americans, and police officers. He is also a therapist in private practice, and a senior fellow at The Meadows. His New York Times best-selling book is My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies.Robin DiAngelo has been a consultant, educator, and facilitator for over 20 years and is an Affiliate Associate Professor of Education at the University of Washington in Seattle. She’s the author of the influential book White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism. Her new book is Nice Racism: How Progressive White People Perpetuate Racial Harm.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org. And listen to Resmaa’s first conversation with Krista, 'Notice the Rage; Notice the Silence.’This show originally aired in July, 2020.

Nick Cannon, a versatile comedian and host, shares the mic with Robert Kraft, the philanthropic New England Patriots owner, and Resmaa Menakem, a trauma and healing expert. They dive into Kraft's campaign against hate, explore the significance of representation in children’s literature, and discuss the role of healing in community resilience. Cannon adds humor while reflecting on cultural identity and sports rivalries. Menakem emphasizes the importance of shared reading experiences, creating a rich dialogue about legacy, unity, and the power of storytelling.

Through the ruptures of the past year and more, we’ve been given so much to learn, and callings to live differently. But how to do that, and where to begin? Resmaa Menakem’s book, My Grandmother's Hands, and his original insights into racialized trauma in all kinds of bodies, have offered new ways forward for us all. So we said yes when Resmaa proposed that he join On Being together with Robin DiAngelo. She has been a foremost white voice in our civilizational grappling with whiteness. This conversation is not comfortable, but it is electric and it opens possibility. Resmaa Menakem (MSW, LICSW, SEP) teaches workshops on Cultural Somatics for audiences of African Americans, European Americans, and police officers. He is also a therapist in private practice, and a senior fellow at The Meadows. His New York Times best-selling book is My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies.Robin DiAngelo has been a consultant, educator, and facilitator for over 20 years and is an Affiliate Associate Professor of Education at the University of Washington in Seattle. She’s the author of the influential book White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism. Her new book is Nice Racism: How Progressive White People Perpetuate Racial Harm.This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the On Being episode "Robin DiAngelo and Resmaa Menakem — Towards a Framework for Repair." Find the transcript for that show at onbeing.org. And listen to Resmaa’s first conversation with Krista, ‘Notice the Rage; Notice the Silence.’

Resmaa Menakem, a therapist specializing in trauma and author of "My Grandmother’s Hands," delves into the complexities of racialized trauma. He discusses how societal views on race affect mental well-being and emphasizes the importance of body awareness in healing. Menakem articulates the need for white individuals to confront discomfort and engage in anti-racist practices. He highlights the critical role of community support and personal introspection in overcoming systemic biases, advocating for a transformative journey towards collective healing.

Across the past year, and now as the murder trial of Derek Chauvin unfolds with Minneapolis in fresh pain and turmoil, we return again to the grounding insights of Resmaa Menakem. He is a Minneapolis-based therapist and trauma specialist who activates the wisdom of elders, and very new science, about how all of us carry in our bodies the history and traumas behind everything we collapse into the word “race.” We offer up his intelligence on changing ourselves at a cellular level — practices towards the transformed reality most of us long to inhabit.Resmaa Menakem, MSW, LICSW, SEP, teaches workshops on Cultural Somatics for audiences of African Americans, European Americans, and police officers. He is also a therapist in private practice, and a senior fellow at The Meadows. His New York Times best-selling book is My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies.This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the On Being episode “Resmaa Menakem — ‘Notice the Rage; Notice the Silence’." Find the transcript for that show at onbeing.org.This show originally aired June 4, 2020.

Resmaa Menakem is a Minneapolis-based therapist, trauma specialist, and author of "My Grandmother’s Hands". He explores how racial trauma affects all bodies—regardless of color—arguing it manifests physically. Menakem introduces concepts like 'white body supremacy' and 'somatic abolitionism', urging deeper engagement in anti-racist practices. He emphasizes the importance of communal healing through bodily awareness, confronting privilege, and navigating discomfort. The conversation encourages transformative personal growth and sustained commitment to racial healing.

Therapist and trauma specialist Resmaa Menakem is working with old wisdom and very new science about our bodies and nervous systems, and all we condense into the word “race.” “Your body — all of our bodies — are where changing the status quo must begin.”Find a quiet place and experience this short, simple body practice offered in Resmaa’s conversation with Krista on the On Being episode, ‘Notice the Rage; Notice the Silence.’