The Colonization of Black Sexualities

Book excerpt: Anne Mauro invites therapists to look through a historical lens to view how the harmful effects of colonization and white supremacy impact their Black client’s sexuality in the modern day. Written from her unique position as a sex therapist and bi-racial Black woman, Mauro believes that by relearning the history of sexual trauma on African American bodies, clinicians can better assess their client’s intergenerational trauma and inform their work and practice. Chapters address how the patriarchy was an agent in colonization, the impact of colonization on ethnosexuality, slavery, and sexuality, ethnosexual historical traumas and their impact on modern day American sexual behavior, and the continuing effects of sexual violence and sexual health disparities in young Black women and girls. With reflective questions woven throughout, the final chapter guides the therapist through clinical practices meant for grounding, healing, and the promotion of authenticity within this work. It offers tangible insights into dismantling oppressive practices and integrating the material into the reader’s personal and professional lives. The book is essential reading for students of gender studies, human sexuality, and race studies, as well as all mental health professionals, such as sex therapists, marriage and family therapists, and clinical social workers.