Katie Jones, Maxine Bryant present on generational trauma and its impact on the Gullah Geechee community
The Georgia Southern University Counseling Center and Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Center teamed up to bring awareness to generational trauma among college students by exploring how the Gullah Geechee community and its historical roots are impacting college counseling.
During the 2023 American College Counseling Association (ACCA) conference, Maxine Bryant, Ph.D., director of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Center and the Center for Africana Studies, and Katie Jones, Ph.D., associate director of the Georgia Southern Counseling Center, presented “A Nation Within a Nation: The Quiet Presence of the Gullah Geechee Community and How Historical Roots are Currently Impacting College Counseling.”
Their presentation focused on the myriad of contributions of Gullah Geechee people, the historical oppression of the Gullah Geechee community, and the ways in which the historical oppression manifests in generational trauma that may present in the national college student community. They also offered resources on how to identify generational trauma in current college students and apply skills to promote healing.
“I was honored to co-present with Dr. Jones and represent Georgia Southern,” said Bryant. “Georgia Southern is a PWI (Predominately White Institution) and has often been viewed as not valuing equity, diversity and inclusion. Presenting this topic to the ACCA demonstrated to college counselors across the country that Georgia Southern is sensitive to the culture where the university is located and is making progress toward meeting the needs of minoritized and marginalized students, faculty and staff. Having the opportunity to highlight the culture and the work of the Georgia Southern Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Center was awesome and our presentation was very well received.”
The Gullah Geechee community formed after enslaved Africans brought to the Low Country (coastal North and South Carolina, Georgia and northern Florida) were held on the Sea Islands and formed their own communities and culture because of being separated from the mainland plantations.
After chattel slavery ended, many Gullah Geechee people moved from the southern states with their descendants dispersed throughout our country.
“There is a lot of misinformation about the Gullah Geechee culture and community,” Bryant said. “The fact is that more than 1 million people across our nation can trace their heritage to the Gullah Geechee people. That means college counselors in every region of the U.S. may very well come in contact with a student with Gullah Geechee roots. The inherent, generational trauma may present during their college years and the student may not know or understand what's happening. Presenting on this topic serves to educate and increase awareness on the prevalence and impact of generational trauma, particularly as experienced by the Gullah Geechee community through the years.”
Jones noted that many members of the Georgia Southern’s Counseling Center’s staff are trauma-trained and able to provide treatment to students who experience generational trauma.
“I think it is important for individuals visiting Savannah from across the nation to understand the history of the Gullah Geechee community and their impact on the coastal regions,” Jones said. “I hoped to share this information, to elevate Dr. Bryant's voice and to share the ways that Georgia Southern University is supporting the Gullah Geechee Cultural Center.”
Jones believes this research will be beneficial to Georgia Southern students as well.
“It increases healing, support, awareness and ultimately success for our students,” she said. “Students knowing and understanding that healing can come from any type of trauma, and that those services exist for them, is vital. Creating safe and supportive spaces for our students to heal is also important. The more faculty and staff can work to understand the historical oppressions of our students and can keep that perspective in mind, the more successful our students can be.”