Solve for X: When Trauma Walks Into Algebra Class

In this powerful episode of Healing Ourselves Heals Our Hoods, host Deziana Torres (Confi_Dez) shares a true story from her upcoming book When The Chains Fall.

“Solve for X, X = 2500 – 24 Hours” takes listeners back to Deziana’s 9th grade year in algebra class — a space where numbers on the board collided with the unprocessed weight of trauma. Behind the equations, there was a deeper calculation: how can a young person learn when their mind is still fighting the wars they see outside the window?

This episode doesn’t just tell a story — it issues an invitation. For educators, policymakers, and all who work with youth in urban cities: listen to lived experiences, humanize our struggles, and create curricula and policies that hold space for processing, healing, and resilience.

Because the answer to “X” isn’t only found in math — it’s found in building classrooms and communities where survival doesn’t silence learning.