Center for Multicultural and Global Mental Health at WJC

12/17/2025

The U.S. Capitol has begun displaying a statue of a teenage Barbara Rose Johns as she protested poor conditions at her segregated Virginia high school.

Johns was 16 years old in 1951 when she led a student strike for equal education at R.R. Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia.

The students' cause gained the support of NAACP lawyers, who filed a lawsuit that would become one of the five cases that the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed in Brown v. Board of Education.

The high court's landmark 1954 decision declared "separate but equal" public schools unconstitutional.

More than 200 members of John’s family were at the ceremony, according to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.

The statue is a pointed replacement for a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that was removed several years ago.

Read more: nbcnews.app.link/BPOPPbaPaZb

12/17/2025

12/17/2025

12/16/2025

The Seattle Storm has named Sonia Raman as head coach, making her the first Indian American head coach in WNBA history. A former lawyer, Raman steps into her first WNBA head coaching role after serving as an assistant coach for the New York Liberty and the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.

At Raman's first press conference she shared, "I am the first, but I don’t want to be the last. … I’m doing my best so I can create these opportunities, open these doors or just allow this next generation to see what’s possible.”

12/14/2025

https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/14/us/hanukkah-jewish-antisemitism-australia-shooting

Members of the Jewish community across the world woke up Sunday to yet another fatal attack — something that has become all too common for those of the faith.

12/14/2025

Wishing warmth and light to everyone observing Hanukkah. May this season bring moments of peace and connection.

12/14/2025

We are saddened by the recent tragedies at Brown University and in Sydney, Australia. News reports about shootings in communities around the world can cause stress and anxiety for people, leaving them with questions about the causes and ways to prevent gun violence. APA offers tools and guidance to help those who are experiencing distress.
https://on.apa.org/48CZqSp

12/08/2025

Please join us for an engaging webinar on how masculinity and cultural norms affect men’s mental health, especially for men of color.
Title: (Man)aging (Men)tal Health: We Are in the Name, So Why Aren't We in the Room?
Date: Monday, January 26, 2026
Time: 6 to 7:30 PM (Via Zoom)
Featuring: Dr. Darryl Sweeper, Jr. & Professor Sheldon Aaron
Moderated by: Dr. Damon A. Pryor

Click here to register for the webinar: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/ytzgavk/lp/548986e5-847f-414a-ad13-e17ed7194832

11/16/2025

On November 14, 1960, sixty-five years ago today, a 6-year-old girl walked into a school and changed history.

Ruby Bridges stepped toward William Frantz Elementary School, flanked by four federal marshals, while a raging crowd spat hate at a child who only wanted to learn.

Bridges’ first day came after years of legal battles to force New Orleans schools to honor Brown v. Board. Even then, officials engineered barriers to limit desegregation. Yet Ruby walked forward anyway, carrying integration on her shoulders, still small enough to swing from a playground bar.

It wasn’t centuries ago, it was within our parents’ lifetimes, a reminder that the fight for justice is not distant, not abstract, not done.

Today, as DEI programs are being dismantled on campuses across the country, we’re reminded that progress is not guaranteed, it must be protected.

We honor Ms. Bridges for her courage, her clarity, and the door she held open for all of us. Read more at ESSENCE.com.

11/14/2025