Trauma

I was born in, raised for, and returned to Detroit - a major Michigan city one hour’s drive from Flint. Reading The Watsons Go to Birmingham brought back so many memories of that I-75 stretch from Michigan to The South. But what would typically be considered torture for me and my brother on that drive (that is, fighting over the one hand-held video game player or asking “Are we there yet?!” for the 93rd time) is nothing compared to the experiences of the Watsons in the 1960s.

As a researcher of racial socialization, or ways that families talk to children about race, my eyes widened every time I read how the author Christopher Paul Curtis weaved in common phrases used by a number of Black families. Starting in Chapter 9, when the family sets out on their adventure south, Mr. Watson and Kenny find themselves having “The Talk” to prepare them for the bias that they may face as a Black family around White people in another city. That same bias preparation shows up as Mr. Watson talks to the whole family about The South, in the same ways that Mrs. Watson has prepared the route to ensure the family could stay safe at various hotels and restaurants that welcomed people of color. We also see that Joey felt conflicted when receiving a gift that did not look like her, and she shared her frustration with Mrs. Watson.

All of these interactions prepare the reader for what we will find as we conclude the book. I don’t know about you but it felt like everything was happening so quickly by the end. So much to visualize. Process. Imagine. The author’s use of imagery was quite impactful, especially as he described the colors of the dresses of the girls in Chapter 14 - red, white, and blue. He uses this parallel to help us think about the America that we live in: how is it that American girls going to Sunday School could lose their lives simply for the color of their skin? The Watsons battle with this question throughout the text, talking about issues that we - even in the 2020s - grapple with, including unfair policing, unjust laws, and the feelings that come from those practices and policies.

Those feelings are the things I hope to talk with you about most today. In Chapter 15, we find our protagonist and main character, Kenny, in The World-Famous Watson Pet Hospital. Why, you might ask, is a boy hiding behind the family couch in a place typically reserved for pets? Well, keep in mind that Chapter 14 brought Kenny up-close-and-personal with a bombing that ultimately took the lives of four girls, one of whom he thought for sure was his sister. Add to that the near-death drowning incident he had earlier that week and you have Kenny believing that death was on the lookout for the Watsons. Even though Kenny’s own personal brush with death may seem more intense, it is the bombing of other children that led him to seek comfort in what may appear to be a strange way. Kenny could not shake the fact that children could be killed just for being Black. He knew that the hospital had healing powers for the pets of the family, so finding something - anything - that could bring his tired spirit and mind peace was what he needed.

Remember “The Talk” that we discussed earlier? One of the reasons families engage in that practice is to help young people not feel sad, depressed, anxious, or fearful of what is happening around them regarding race. But even the most prepared families like The Watsons sometimes have an experience that is so traumatic - or emotionally disturbing - that children may feel that normal ways of responding just won’t cut it. This is true whether the trauma is direct (it happened to them personally) or vicarious (it happened to someone else). They may retreat or hide (yes, maybe even behind a couch), constantly check around them for suspicious activity, believe that they are seeing or hearing the thing that they are afraid of, and otherwise change regular habits (like sleeping or eating). Just like The Watsons demonstrated in the book, having support to deal with this racial trauma, talking through the stress and knowing that people who love you are there for you, is really important for recovery and healing. Kenny being able to leave the hospital was due to the family coming together and giving him encouragement - the same thing I would do as a psychologist for my clients.

The world may not be perfect, but it takes families, friends, professionals, and love to support us through tough times, whether 1963 or 2023!

About the Author

Riana Elyse Anderson is a professor of Health Behavior & Health Education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.