The City of Sacramento’s African American Employee Leadership Council (AAELC) on Tuesday hosted “Food for Your Soul,” an event honoring Black History Month.
The event took place at the Sam and Bonnie Pannell Community Center and featured a key note speech by Dr. Joy DeGruy, an internationally renowned researcher, educator, author and presenter.
“The AAELC was happy to host Dr. DeGruy and our fellow City employees for this year’s Black History Month Celebration,” said AAELC Board Member and City employee Aubree Taylor. “There was a great turnout, and I can confidently say that everyone in the room was able to take something away from her presentation.”
DeGruy spoke frankly about issues involving culture, race and history, but came from a place of humanity and not accusation, Taylor said.
“I agree with the wise words of Dr. Joy DeGruy: ‘People do better, when they know better,'” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “We must know our shared history of slavery and its ongoing impacts if we are to stop the cycle of generational trauma that stems from it.”
DeGruy’s research focuses on the intersection of racism, trauma, violence and American slavery, according to press materials. She has more than 30 years of experience as a professional in the field of social work. She conducts workshops and trainings in the areas of inter-generational/historical trauma, mental health, social justice, improvement strategies and evidence-based model development.
The AAELC was formed in 2016, and its mission is to advocate for fair and equitable treatment of all African American employees and residents by the City of Sacramento through enlightenment and empowerment.
