LaVerne Baker Hotep
LaVerne Baker Hotep is a Program Coordinator for the Traumatic Stress Institute of Klingberg Family Centers. With over 30 years in social service and a special interest in historical and intergenerational trauma, she has co-lead training for various client serving agencies around the country. With members of Mediators Beyond Borders International, LaVerne has co-facilitated trauma response training in Liberia and South Sudan. Previously, LaVerne served as a Family Development Specialist and Resource Navigator at the Kingsley Association in Pittsburgh, PA, serving Allegheny County’s East Liberty Family Center where she founded and continues to convene Me2 Sister Circle, an international trauma-informed self-care and enrichment group for women. As former director of community education for the Center for Victims in Pittsburgh, PA, she initiated and convened culturally significant conferences to educate about trauma and its impact in vulnerable communities. LaVerne also has a podcast entitled Black Girl Back Talk.
LaVerne Baker Hotep is a Program Coordinator with the Traumatic Stress Institute (TSI). She was part of the team that just spent the last year revising our Risking Connection curriculum, which now incorporates racial trauma and healing work. LaVerne sent the content below as an email to her TSI coworkers in honor of Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S.
She consented to sharing it with our wider community as a moment for reflection. A note: In her piece she refers to working on Juneteenth. It is a paid vacation day at our agency, Klingberg Family Centers, but LaVerne is running an RC Train-the-Trainer for a newer client agency this week; she will take her rest another day.
To everything there is a season. I know that intellectually. But I get anxious sometimes.
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