The Weight of Bearing Witness

It’s the second week of the trial of former Minneapolis police officerDerek Chauvin, and witnesses of all ages have been asked to recount what they saw on May 25th, 2020, as Chauvin kneeled on George Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes. Emotions in the courtroom have run high as witnesses have been asked to relive the trauma of last summer. 

In this episode, Dr. BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, founder of the African American Wellness Institute, a mental health agency in Minneapolis, speaks with Trymaine Lee about the physical, psychological, and spiritual impacts of racial trauma on these witnesses and Black communities across the country. She also unpacks the risks of retraumatizationthat come with a public trial.

Calling herself a “Black Liberation Psychologist”, Dr. Garrett-Akinsanya also touches on the healing journey for these witnesses, and with this trauma and grief, their right to be well as human beings.

For a transcript, please visit https://www.msnbc.com/intoamerica. 

Thoughts? Feedback? Story ideas? Write to us at intoamerica@nbcuni.com

Further Reading and Listening: 

• Derek Chauvin trial: Live updates on George Floyd’s death
• Here’s what was revealed in the first week of the Derek Chauvin trial
• Into America: Jury System on Trial