Who is Dr. Joy DeGruy? Dr. Joy DeGruy is a world-renowned writer, speaker, and social scientist. She holds two master’s degrees in Social Work and Clinical Psychology and a Ph.D. in Social Work research. Her dissertation is entitled African American Male Youth Violence: Trying to Kill the Part of You that Isn’t Loved. Throughout her career, Dr. DeGruy has conducted numerous workshops and seminars and delivered lectures about her research focused on the intersection of racism, trauma, and American chattel slavery. Her book Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing shows its readers how the persistence of that intersection suffuses our daily lives. Indeed, Dr. DeGruy travels across the globe to share this message and has presented her work at Morehouse School of Medicine, Smith College, Spelman College, Harvard University, Tulane University, Princeton University, Fisk University, Yale University, M.I.T, the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organization, Oxford University, the New York City African Burial Ground, the Essence Music Festival, the County of LA Department of Mental Health, and elsewhere. She has also been featured on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network.