WELLS Healing and Research Collective
In Fall 2019, I started my journey of growth in the Wellness, Equity, Love, Liberation, and Sexuality Healing and Research Collective (WELLS HRC for short). Using a Black feminist framework, the WELLS HRC explores how to promote wellness, particularly among ethnic minority, queer, trans and/or gender-expansive people and communities. Under the supervision of my Principal Investigator, Dr. Della V. Mosley, and through involvement with the WELLS HRC, I have been involved in multiple projects, such as A practical application of Critical Consciousness of Anti-Black Racism, Healing through a Peer-Led Social Justice Program, and Academics for Black Survival and Wellness. As a researcher I have conducted qualitative interviews, coded transcripts, worked on Institutional Review Board proposals, and developed and conceptualized projects.
Critical Consciousness of Anti-Black Racism
This study explores Blackness as it relates to experiences, identity, and wellness. Specifically, it examines how participating in a workshop that facilitates Black consciousness can affect 1) how one responds to racial trauma and 2) personal wellness, broadly. Black consciousness in the face of anti-Black racism will be better understood through this study.
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Publication:
Prieto, C., Mosley, D.V., Ross, G., Garcia, A. (2020, August). Towards Healing: A Practical Mini-Workshop on Applying the Critical Consciousness of Anti-Black Racism Model as a Psychologist.
Paper accepted for the American Psychological Association Convention.
Healing through a Peer-Led Social Justice Program
This study explores the healing processes of student social justice activists leading a social justice education program. Additionally, I explored the extent to which healing is a motivation and/or expectation that is associated with engagement in social justice activism for college students.
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Presentation:
Mejia, J., Dahn, C., Trochez, J., Saldana, M., Colson, A., Garcia, A., Fields, Y., Spina, C., Hamilton, M., Pagram, H., & Mosley, D. V. (2020, July). Student Activists Healing through Advocacy: Understanding Healing Processes. Poster submitted for the American Psychological Association Division 17 Poster Session, Online
Academics for Black Survival and Wellness
Academics for Black Survival and Wellness was organized by a group of Black counseling psychologists and their colleagues who practice Black allyship. Guided by a Black feminist frame, Academics for Black Lives (A4BL) hopes to foster accountability and growth for non-Black people and enhance healing and wellness for Black people. My part in A4BL was behind the scenes. I worked on assigning over 2,000 people into accountability groups, created the newsletters, and worked on other miscellaneous tasks.