Â"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.
2008 Woodie Awards
