San Diego, CA – August 1, 2022 – Cognella Academic Publishing is proud to announce the publication of Inherited Wisdom: Drawing on the Lessons of Formerly Enslaved Ancestors to Lift Up Black Youth by Barbara Ella Milton, Jr. and Deborah Brooks Lawrence. The book underscores how practitioners and lay people alike can highlight the strength, fortitude, resilience, and community found in the narratives of enslaved forebears to help young people recover hope for the future. Readers learn how the resilient and resourceful actions of enslaved Africans many years ago can serve as a blueprint for the healing and survival of their progeny in contemporary society.

The opening chapter identifies the significant domains of internal and external connection that allowed formerly enslaved people to live into the 20th century: individual, familial, in-group, and out-group connection. Additional chapters explore the protective factors that promote resilience in each domain. The authors then link those lessons of ancestral wisdom with their lived experiences as a social worker and educator. The final chapter distills the hard lessons learned throughout the text and proposes transformational short-term and long-term strategies.

Emphasizing agency and allyhood, Inherited Wisdom serves as a healing balm for those who continue to struggle to overcome the traumas born of centuries of oppression. It is ideal for courses and programs in social work, education, and other helping professions in which individuals work with and support marginalized youth, families, and communities.

Chapters and Topics Include: 

Chapter 1. Situating the Unyielding Resistance and Resilience of Our Enslaved Forebears

Chapter 2. Our Strength Lies Within: Wisdom From the Enslaved Person Narratives for the Individual Domain

Chapter 3. Love and Learning Starts at Home: Wisdom From the Enslaved Person Narratives for the Family Domain

Chapter 4. I Am Because You Are: Wisdom From the Enslaved Person Narratives for the Black Community Domain

Chapter 5. Remove the Stumbling Blocks—I Want to Live and Thrive: Wisdom From the Enslaved Person Narratives for the Dominant Out-Group Domain

Chapter 6. The Enduring Pain of Enslavement: “Joy Cometh in the Morning”

Appendix 1. Reflections of a Researcher

Appendix 2. A Further Note on Methodology and Data Collection

Appendix 3. Names of Formerly Enslaved People Whose Wisdom Is Captures in This Book

About the Authors: 

Barbara Ella Milton, Jr., Ph.D., LCSW, a clinical social worker, clinical supervisor, social work educator, child welfare advocate, activist, social media producer, author, and resilience expert, has been an impactful social change agent for the wellness of marginalized youth and families for decades.

Deborah Brooks Lawrence, Ed.D. is an educator, author and child welfare specialist. She is a native New Yorker who believes that equitable access to viable resources will pave the road for universal recognition and sustainability of human rights.

Learn more about the book, request a digital review copy, or purchase a copy: https://titles.cognella.com/inherited-wisdom-9781793548511