2 chapters across the catalog
Dr. Christine Courtois explains "trauma bonding" as a negative but powerful attachment formed through complicated dynamics. The hosts apply this psychological concept to the relationship between Black voters and the Democratic Party. They argue that the expectation for Black people to vote Democrat is a form of toxic loyalty that ignores the actual harm caused by party policies.
The four criteria of Stockholm Syndrome—perceived threat, small acts of kindness, isolation, and inability to escape—are mapped onto the political experience of Black Americans. The hosts cite Joe Biden's "you ain't black" comment as a psychological threat to identity. They also discuss how the media uses traumatic "slave movies" to reinforce these bonds every year.
