Resmaa Menakem

Resmaa Menakem is a therapist and trauma specialist who describes himself as a healer, a cultural trauma navigator, and a communal provocateur and coach. He is the creator of Somatic Abolitionism, an approach that uses the body and its natural resilience to heal racialized trauma. In his own words, he helps people, communities and organizations find strength in healing that is holistic and resilient, and he considers it his job "to make the invisible visible." He is a Senior Fellow with The Meadows Institute.

He is a New York Times bestselling author. My Grandmother's Hands was the first self-discovery book to examine white body supremacy in America from the perspective of trauma and body-centered psychology. His other books are The Quaking of America and Monsters in Love, a guide for couples that encourages partners to stand by what they need and who they are, with compassion rather than competitiveness. He also co-authored the children's book The Stories from My Grandmother's Hands with actor and vocalist T. Mychael Rambo.

His teaching centers on practice and repetition. Through the Cultural Somatics Institute, he offers courses in embodied racial literacy, along with the CORE Assessment, which he describes as a first-of-its-kind energetic assessment of the impact of white-body supremacy. The Black Octopus Society is his community and learning space for body practices, shared discussion and building an embodied anti-racist culture. The work asks people to learn the historical context, practice using the body as a resource, connect with other bodies, and build humility, stamina and discernment.

Menakem received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in Social Justice, Somatic Education and Advocacy from CIIS, and delivered the commencement address at its 56th Commencement Ceremony.