Renowned psychologist Dr. Monnica Williams reveals how racial trauma affects people of color daily, and offers three practical actions anyone can take to create positive change.

How subtle, everyday racism leads to lasting psychological injury through "microaggressions"

Why many of us are conditioned not to see racism, even when it's happening right in front of us

The shocking study showing it took 80 phone calls for a Black man to find a therapist who would see him

Three practical steps everyone can take to combat racism and promote healing

Links & Resources

Healing the Wounds of Racial Trauma by Dr. Monnica Williams

Mind Body Health Politics Archives - Listen to our full 20-year archive free

The Kenneth Clark Doll Study - The landmark research mentioned in our conversation

American Psychological Association's Apology for Role in Promoting Racism

Timestamped Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Dr. Monnica Williams: Social Justice Royalty (01:00) - Growing Up with Civil Rights Activist Parents (03:00) - Understanding Racial Trauma: When Racism Becomes Injury (05:00) - The Shocking Truth About Finding Therapists for People of Color (08:00) - What Is a Microaggression? Small Acts with Major Impact (12:00) - The Academic Battle to Recognize Racial Trauma (15:00) - 2024 Election: Why Some People Vote Against Their Interests (17:00) - Personal Stories: Witnessing Racism Over Six Decades (26:00) - Police Encounters: From Traffic Stops to Trauma (31:00) - Self-Examination: Questions to Uncover Your Own Biases (34:00) - The Shortage of Therapists of Color: A Systemic Problem (39:00) - Study Reveals Most White People Never Stand Up Against Racism (43:00) - Three Things Anyone Can Do to Create Positive Change (47:00) - Closing Thoughts: The Ongoing Work of Building Justice

Suggested YouTube Title Options:

The Hidden Impact of Racial Trauma (And 3 Ways to Make a Difference)

"I Don't Want to See That Look" - How Racism Creates Lasting Trauma

Stop Ignoring These Microaggressions - They're Harming People Every Day

MDMA-assisted therapy could be key to healing Ukraine's war trauma—and might even help mend our own divided society's psychological wounds.

Key Insights:

MAPS' Phase 3 clinical trials showed 72.6% of severe PTSD patients no longer qualified for diagnosis after MDMA therapy

Group therapy combined with MDMA shows enormous promise for healing communities facing widespread trauma

Epigenetic research suggests processing trauma with psychedelics could prevent passing trauma to future generations

America's social division is creating its own psychological "war zone" that might benefit from psychedelic-assisted healing

Links & Resources:

MAPS - Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

Psychedelic Science 2025 - Denver, June 16-20, 2025

Mind Body Health & Politics

Superhumans Center Ukraine

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) - Introduction: Four Decades of Psychedelic Medicine Advocacy

(00:03:00) - The Dark History Behind Drug Prohibition and Criminalization

(00:05:42) - Inside Ukraine: Air Raid Sirens and Everyday Resilience

(00:09:00) - Why MDMA Works: Revolutionary Results from PTSD Clinical Trials

(00:16:00) - "I Don't Think I'll Have to Go to Nepal Now": Patient Transformation Stories

(00:24:00) - From Underground to Mainstream: Political Science of Psychedelic Medicine

(00:32:00) - Visiting the Cemetery of Flags: Confronting Ukraine's Massive Trauma

(00:38:00) - Beyond Individual Therapy: Scaling MDMA Treatment for an Entire Nation

(00:45:00) - Group Therapy's Multiplier Effect: Learning Through Others' Healing

(00:50:00) - Transforming Relationships: MDMA's Potential for Couples and Families

(00:54:00) - America's Own War Zone: How Social Division Creates Collective Trauma

(00:59:00) - From Self-Actualization to Self-Transcendence: Maslow's Psychedelic Evolution

(01:02:00) - The Astronaut Perspective: Seeing One Planet of People, Not Countries

​Dr. Nicholas Powers reveals how psychedelics could help heal generational trauma in communities of color while reinvigorating social movements at a critical political moment.

In This Episode:

- Why the "Black psychedelic revolution" is currently a celebrity trend but needs to become accessible to working-class communities

- How the constant psychological burden of "the white superego" creates trauma in communities of color

- Why writing is a powerful tool for liberation and reclaiming your mind from today's attention economy

Links & Resources:

- [The Black Psychedelic Revolution by Nicholas Powers](https://www.blackpsychedelicrevolution.com/)

- [Mind Body Health & Politics Archive](https://mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/)

Chapters:

(00:00) - Intro: Understanding the Black Experience in America

(08:00) - The Weight of History: Carrying Ancestral Trauma

(15:00) - The Current State of Psychedelics in Communities of Color

(21:00) - Backlash Politics: Post-Election Mourning and Resistance

(30:00) - Resilience Stories: Finding Strength After Defeat

(38:00) - Addiction, Environment, and the "Rat Park" Experiment

(45:00) - Writing as Liberation: Reclaiming Your Mind from Digital Harvesting

​Mind Body Health & Politics is in its 21st year. All episodes are archived and available at mindbodyhealthpolitics.org. New episodes go live Tuesday Mornings.