Intergenerational trauma is an enduring form of distress that is transmitted across generations - through shared historical experiences of oppression, loss, displacement, and physical and psychological suffering. It results in deep-rooted psychological and sociocultural wounds that are perpetuated through shifting family and social dynamics, and are often denied or forgotten over time as a means of self-protection. This cycle of trauma re-emerges through trauma-related behaviors and self-destructive coping strategies that can be seen to manifest in subsequent generations with an intergenerational transmission of distress.

See also: middle passage, white supremacy, social change, black lives