Of She We Sing: A Healing Resource for African American Women

Abstract

An increasing number of African American women veterans who served in the Armed Forces to defend the United States Constitution alongside their counterparts live their post-military lives mired and emotionally immobilized by the spectre of Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and Moral Injury (MI), isolating and silencing themselves from their earthly and spiritual communities. Historically, African American women are survivors, consistently overcoming the constant and persistent challenges faced as members of the lowest caste in America’s social hierarchy. As MST and MI victims, are isolating and silencing treatable behaviors for African American women veterans? Of She We Sing is about intentionally constructing a beloved Ubuntu-driven (Ubuntu as defined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu) community for African American women veterans victimized by MST and MI who are experiencing isolation and silence. My project offers a healing strategy underpinned by a florilegium playlist that utilizes an evidence-based defusion practice and womanist traditional communalism to positively compel MST/MI African American women veteran victims toward change, flourishing, values, and committed action. Future considerations for community resources will utilize other evidence-based practices to build seven stepping stones to change, i.e., respect, equality, unity, language, self-preservation, grief, and spirituality.