TRAUMA, GRIEF, AND HEALING: ANALYZING THE MENTAL HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF INTIMATE MALE PARTNER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON BLACK MOTHERS & SURVIVORS

Abstract

This creative thesis explores the intersecting roles of motherhood, selfhood, and survival that Black women must navigate when subjected to intimate male partner domestic violence. These intersecting identities of motherhood and selfhood can often result in self-blame and helplessness. This thesis also assesses the nuanced roles of access, spirituality, and community in providing healing measures for Black mothers yet also debilitating them from seeking help. My goal is to highlight the ways in which Black women playwrights use the theatre as an effective medium for authentically portraying and affirming the experiences of Black women and re-centering the narrative on the survivors. I continue this work through my own play Sweet Mother which follows a Nigerian mother who struggles to overcome domestic violence at the hands of her husband while caring for her three children. Most importantly, it centers on how a Mother's Survival is a Daughter's Inspiration.

Keywords: Black Womanhood, Domestic Violence, Healing, Spirituality, Survivors