“Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome” author Joy DeGruy.

The Feb. 11 talk by Joy DeGruy, author of a book about the residual impacts of slavery on African Americans, was canceled. Please watch bates.edu/events for information about a new date for DeGruy.

Presented by the Office of Intercultural Education at Bates, the lecture is open to the public at no cost. For more information, please call 207-786-8376.

An internationally renowned researcher, educator and presenter, DeGruy is the author of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing (Uptone Books, 2005). The book addresses the consequences of generations of slavery and invites a discussion of how the black community can use strengths gained in the past to heal in the present.

The book incorporates DeGruy’s research in America and Africa, as well as her years of experience as a social work practitioner and consultant to public and private organizations.

Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome is a theory that explains the causes of adaptive survival behaviors in African American communities throughout the United States and the African diaspora. It is a result of multigenerational trauma with continued oppression and the absence of opportunity to heal or access the benefits widely available in society.

Susan Taylor, a former editorial director and editor-in-chief of Essence Magazine, called DeGruy’s book “a master work.  . . . the balm we need to heal ourselves and our relationships. It is the gift of wholeness.”

DeGruy has more than 25 years of practical experience as a professional in the field of social work. She conducts workshops and trainings in the areas of mental health, social justice and culture-specific social service model development.

She holds a bachelor of science degree in communication, master’s degrees in social work and clinical psychology, and a doctorate in social work research. She is on the sociology faculty at Portland State University and is president of JDP Inc.