Joy Angela DeGruy, PhD, is awarded a presidential citation for her work on understanding the intersection of racism, trauma, violence, and American chattel slavery.
DeGruy was trained as a social worker and her work has been instrumental in advancing social issues that impact people of African descent through national and international workshops and trainings in the areas of intergenerational trauma, mental health, social justice, and evidence-based model development.
With over 30 years of experience, she continues to work towards the liberation of Black and African American people. DeGruy has published numerous articles and book chapters and her world-renowned book Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing, which addresses the residual impacts of trauma on African Descendants in the Americas has been cited more than 1,700 times. The focus of her book has helped elevate the conversations on healing from racial trauma past and present.