Conference challenges diversity

­"One love, one heart, let's get together and feel all right."

These words, made famous by Bob Marley, were sung by psychiatrists, scholars, students, and clinicians alike at the Seventh Annual Diversity Challenge Conference, hosted by the Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture (ISPRC). The conference, on Friday and Saturday, drew about 250 professionals and students from around the country to discuss a predetermined theme: "Race and Culture Intersections in Scientific Research and Mental Health Service Delivery for Children, Adolescents, and Families."

The Bob Marley sing-along was inspired by Dr. Carolyn Tucker of the University of Florida, who encouraged the audience to sing the song that inspired her current research on patient-centered, culturally sensitive health care.

"In many ways, she was singing the [ISPRC's] mission," said Dr. Janet Helms, director of the ISPRC and professor in the Lynch School of Education. "The general mission of the institute is to have people recognize our differences as strengths and assets that bring us together."

Tucker's presentation was part of an invited panel presentation that focused on "Racism as a Mental Health Issue for Youths and Families of Color." The invited panels were new to the conference this year and took the place of the keynote speeches of past conferences.

"With the panels made up of several different people, you could see how practitioners think about the issues and how scholars think about the issues," Helms said.

In addition to the invited panels, the conference also hosted concurrent sessions where attendees were able to choose from a variety of presentations and symposia. The sessions included a variety of topics ranging from the experiences of racism felt by black and Latino high school students to the difficulties adolescent girls of color face while establishing their identities.

The conference also focused on questions of religion and culture. One such presentation was made by Uchenna Nwachuku of Southern Connecticut State University. Nwachuku offered his findings on the implication of counseling America's rising population of Evangelical Christians, which constitutes anywhere between 25 percent and 45 percent of America's total population.

"They're paying our taxes, paying our salaries, so we need to pay attention to them and their needs," Nwachuku said.

The conference also considered mental health issues that were particularly pertinent to individual races. Anabel Bejarano, a professor at Alliant International University in California, presented her research on the tendency of young Latinas to commit suicide. According to statistics presented by Bejarano, one in five Latinas between the ages of 13 and 17 attempt suicide.

"We need to modify our training manuals," Bejarano said, "since we can't modify our Latina clients."

"Many of the attendees are also presenters," Helms said. "So they have an opportunity to present their work and get feedback and incorporate other ideas into their work."

The conference ended on Saturday evening with a closing reception that featured a sculpture exhibit, a poetry reading, and performances by the Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts Youth Dance Troupe.

"We were particularly pleased to have young people demonstrate what it is to be a positively developing young person in today's society," Helms said.

The performers were not the only part of the conference to gain a rave review.

"The conference has been very inspiring and empowering," said Angela Schillaci, a first-year doctoral student in the Lynch School of Education. "It makes me want to do more."

"The conference rejuvenates me and reminds me why I decided on psychology and specifically the intersection of race and culture and psychology," said Maryam Jernigan, a fifth-year doctoral student who was part of the team that helped organize the conference. "It revives my mission and acts as motivation for me to continue working for social justice."

This is Jernigan's fifth year volunteering at the conference. She and the rest of the team of doctoral students involved in the Diversity Challenge play an integral role in the preparation for the conference. Planning began in January of this year.

Helms and Guerda Nicolas, professor in the Lynch School of Education, begin by choosing a theme for the conference. After the theme has been selected, the directors and doctoral students begin searching for and deciding on proposals for presentations at that year's conference. The process of deciding on presentations and organizing events for the conference takes almost 10 full months.

The hard work involved in planning culminates in more than just a conference of presentations and performances. It also offers an opportunity for Boston College to extend and increase its own diversity, even if only for a weekend.

"Being at BC, it's rare to have this number of professors and students of color together in one place," said Carlton Green, a second-year doctoral student. "It's refreshing to have this variety in a school that's mostly white."

The student body at BC is 72 percent Caucasian, according to the Princeton Review. This lack of diversity on the BC campus can have ramifications beyond just a lack of variety.

"The BC community in general has difficulty talking about race and culture unless something awful happens, and then it's not a discussion it's a protest," Helms said. "Our institute hopes to prevent that from happening by discussing it first."

The Diversity Challenge is a cornerstone of the ISPRC's mission to address the societal conflicts associated with race or culture, including those that happen on the BC campus. Although the conference is professional in nature, it attempts to address the issues of race and culture in an approachable, understandable way.