Internalising the Historical Past

Book excerpt: The Separation and the Reunion Forum has as its aim the raising of awareness on the sometimes traumatic effects of broken attachments, separation and loss on families. This book is a compilation of some of the papers from their Sixth Annual Conference, which addresses the history of the deliberate separation of families through slavery from Africa to the Americas and the Caribbean and the lack of attention to the affective issues on the enslaved. It is set in the context of attachment theory and aims to discuss the remnants of the psychological trauma of slavery on the descendants of those who had been enslaved. The papers explore the migrants’ relationships with the past as they struggle to cope with their lives in the present, and the need to consider plans for their future in a society which in some aspects retains attitudes and practices regrettably unchanged since emancipation. The book aims to inform about the background of African Caribbean people now living in Britain. It also aims to promote discussion among those who have experienced separation and loss, among teachers, social workers, probation officers, and officers of Youth Offending teams and those who work with individuals of African Caribbean backgrounds. It gives information on the concepts of Attachment Theory and gives examples of how counsellors and therapists may utilise these in working with individuals whose present behaviour may indicate the adverse effects of suffered broken attachments separation and loss.