Funding the Research on the Post-memory of African American Descendants: Breaking Social Gaps and Building a Shared Bright Future

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-597-3_57How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Post-memory; African American Descendants; Social Gaps

Abstract

This paper advocates for the urgent need for United States government funding to support research on the post-memory of African American descendants. Collective and generational trauma, stemming from the legacy of slavery and systemic racism, continues to shape the social and psychological realities of African American communities today. Post-memory—the intergenerational transmission of trauma through collective memories, family narratives, and physical memorials—serves as a critical lens for understanding these enduring impacts. This essay argues that state-sponsored research into post-memory is essential for three primary reasons: it deepens the understanding of historical trauma, provides an evidence-based framework to guide future public policies in education and mental health, and actively counters the misconception that memory-work is merely a passive indulgence in the past. While community-led initiatives offer valuable grassroots engagement, they frequently suffer from funding constraints and a lack of standardized research methodologies. By analyzing the work of leading scholars in trauma and memory studies, this paper concludes that federally funded research is a necessary investment. Addressing these deeply rooted historical wounds will not only facilitate healing but also promote social justice, ultimately helping to bridge racial divides and build a more equitable, shared future.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Zongyi Du
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/13
TI  - Funding the Research on the Post-memory of African American Descendants: Breaking Social Gaps and Building a Shared Bright Future
BT  - Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Language and Cultural Communication (ICLCC 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 526
EP  - 532
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-597-3_57
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-597-3_57
ID  - Du2026
ER  -