2022 Black History Month – Black Health and Wellness

By Katrina Rogers|Published On: February 1st, 2022|Categories: Black Student Association, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Fielding News, School of Leadership Studies, School of Psychology, University Communications|

Black Health and Wellness

Heritage months are designed to create intentional spaces to reflect on our society’s practices, history, and values. Since 1976, every U.S. president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme.

In 2022, the Black History Month theme is Black Health and Wellness. This theme explores the legacy of Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine and other ways of knowing (e.g., birth workers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists, etc.) throughout the African Diaspora. The 2022 theme considers activities, rituals, and initiatives accomplished by Black communities to foster health and wellness.

As an institution specifically designed for graduate learners, Fielding can be a part of examining this theme through program-driven activities throughout the month. In addition, we would like to offer the following resources for your reflection:

Association for the Study of African American Life and History

National Museum of African American History and Culture

The Association of Black Psychologists

National Endowment for the Humanities

Finally, we would like to call out the following dissertations that are relevant for this month’s theme on “Black Health and Wellness” that aligns with our work as scholar-practitioners in the social sciences:

Barriers to HIV Prevention: The Role of Relationship Closeness in HIV Risk Behaviors and Prejudicial Attitudes. Alston, Le’Marus Perez. Fielding Graduate University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2021. 28646478.

Colored and Invisible: The Influence of Strength on Depression in Black Women. Armstrong, Amanda. Fielding Graduate University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2020. 27995638.

African American Men: A Critical Examination of the Dynamics Involving Their Decision to Pursue or Not Pursue Screening for Prostate Cancer. Womack, Christopher A. Fielding Graduate University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2019. 13901464.

The Impact of Aging, Poverty, Health Behaviors, and Community Engagement on Depression in African American Women in Rural Communities. Brooks, Erica. Fielding Graduate University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2019. 13421446.

Adolescent Social Network Types, Socioaffective Engagement, and Health Behaviors in Africanamericans: A Longitudinal Analysis. Alabi, Oluwatosin. Fielding Graduate University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2018. 10928612.

Evidence-based interventions to reduce psychosocial and access barriers to breast cancer screening among African American women. Bellah, Alycia A. Fielding Graduate University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2015. 3683339.

Do age, gender, and ethnicity predict motivations, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations to exercise? Halbleib, William Thomas. Fielding Graduate University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2013. 3564374.

Cultural Competence and the Delivery of Dental Hygiene Services: A Program Evaluation of Curriculum Effectiveness. Theile, Cheryl M. Fielding Graduate University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2011. 3443658.

Multicultural competence in European American therapists: Role of cultural privilege awareness in the therapeutic alliance. Russo, Kelly L. Fielding Graduate University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2010. 3397543.

Having their say: Experiences of racism coping and health of older African American men. Anderson, Yvette. Fielding Graduate University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2007. 3287697.

Strong black woman: A collaborative study on understanding, experiences, and relationship to health and wellness. Green Fareed, Charlyn. Fielding Graduate University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2007. 3255524.

Racism, stress, and health in African American females: The impact of stress experienced from perceived racism on cardiovascular reactivity in African American adolescent and adult females.

Griffin, Anya T. Fielding Graduate University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2005. 3185970.

Black women and health locus-of-control. Russell, Theresa Elizabeth. The Fielding Institute. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 1991. 9229648.

The Black Student Association (BSA) is another excellent resource for our community. BSA was established to foster growth, inclusion, and awareness of the interests of the Black student community at Fielding. You can connect with BSA via email: bsa@fielding.edu

Please join Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Allison Davis-White Eyes, Ph.D., and our university leaders for the Inaugural State of Diversity on Wednesday, February 2, at 8 am PT/11 am ET by signing up online: https://bit.ly/3ATUkP9.

In closing, it seems fitting to bring the powerful voice of bell hooks, feminist, scholar, activist, and author, into honoring Black History Month. Her words about education resonate with all of us and are worthy of deep reflection as we continue our learning throughout this month, “The classroom remains the most radical space of possibility in the academy.”

To learn more about her work, please see the following 6-minute link about her life and work (produced by PBS NewsHour): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05DMEyxRTNg

Katrina S. Rogers, PhD

President

About the Author: Katrina Rogers

Katrina S. Rogers, PhD, is President of Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, CA, a distinguished graduate school known for adult learners in the fields of clinical psychology, human talent and development, organizational leadership, and education. In the course of her career, she has served the international non-governmental and educational sectors in many roles, including executive, board member, and teacher. She led the European campus for Thunderbird School of Global Management in Geneva, Switzerland for a decade, working with international organizations such as the Red Cross, World Trade Organization, United Nations Development Program, and the European Union. She also developed externships for students at several companies, including Renault, Nestle, and EuroDisney (now Disneyland Paris). She has doctorates in political science and history. In addition to many articles and books focused on organizational leadership in sustainability, Rogers serves on the Boards of the Toda Institute for Global Policy & Peace Research and the Public Dialogue Consortium. She received a Presidential postdoctoral fellowship from the Humboldt Foundation and was a Fulbright scholar to Germany where she taught environmental politics and history. She is currently studying environmental values among leaders that have responsibility for improving sustainability practices in their organizations. These are leaders from the corporate, governmental, and nonprofit sectors. The purpose is to understand how people’s worldviews are brought to bear on the actualization of sustainability work.

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