Since February 2023, the Race Equality Foundation has collected UK-based evidence on the experiences of trauma, racism, and trauma-informed care among Black, Asian, and minority ethnic individuals. This work has been commissioned by Barnardos SEEN.
Kiah Bignall is one of the research participants and a member of the co-production group since its inception. Kiah is currently a first-year student studying Spanish and Translation at university. After her exams, she sat down with us to discuss the importance of the project.
Rethinking Trauma
For Kiah, the term ‘intergenerational trauma’ was new, but the concept was not. It resonated with the pre-existing conversations she had with her friends, as they could relate to the themes explored in their co-production group. The project provided her with the opportunity to delve deeper into the academic lexicon of generational trauma and racism, enhancing her understanding of how these issues affect her as a young Black woman.
Kiah explains that trauma often happens on a large scale over time to a group of people. The impact might be unconscious, but it is undoubtedly present. Through the project, she began to consider trauma from a macro perspective, recognising the interconnectedness of various incidents rather than viewing them as isolated events.
Initially, Kiah focused on intergenerational trauma from her own African-Caribbean background. However, working with the diverse co-production group enhanced her awareness of everyday racism faced by other ethnicities. Participants come from a range of backgrounds, making it powerful to learn, share, and work together to develop improvements for young people experiencing trauma and racism.
Memories of Secondary School
During the research, many participants discussed their experiences in secondary school and how these affected their mental health. They shared numerous instances of racism encountered during their school years.
A significant part of their discussions involved linking recovery to school experiences and brainstorming ways to prevent racism in schools. They explored methods to support children with mental health issues by engaging teachers from similar backgrounds who are trained in cultural perspectives on mental health.
By working together, the group gained a broader understanding of generational trauma and developed the vocabulary to engage in these conversations, ultimately feeling more comfortable discussing the topic.
A Newfound Confidence
A key highlight for Kiah was attending the Barnardos conference in Leeds in February. The co-production group shared their work during the research project and answered questions from professionals, including teachers. For Kiah, it was an opportunity to educate others. She also had the chance to speak with young people from other groups and charities researching various topics.
While Kiah doesn’t consider herself a shy person, the conference and the project, in general, boosted her confidence in sharing her ideas on such a vast topic. Public speaking at the conference, along with the support of the staff and her peers, enhanced her awareness of different experiences and improved her communication skills.
Tackling Racism
Kiah explains how professionals, other charities, and politicians can learn from our experiences, adapt their approaches, and improve systems to create more space for conversations and reduce racism in their organisations. These discussions will help those involved to solve issues in their workplaces, schools, and other environments, making everyone more confident in addressing these topics due to the vocabulary and understanding gained from the project.
Kiah’s future goals include finishing her degree and pursuing a career in the public service field, such as working with charities or young people, or becoming an interpreter in a public service capacity. She hopes that improvements will be made so younger children in school don’t have the same negative experiences.
Update on the project
The current focus of the Racism and Trauma project has been identifying and evaluating inclusive trauma-informed interventions, including our own Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities programme (SFSC). We are thrilled to announce that one of the partner organisations involved in the evaluation is Partisan. Find out more here.
The team is also refining research papers, and planning creative outputs with our co-production group. This includes the development of a podcast series.
Stay tuned for more updates.
