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The importance of mental health advocacy and wellness in the context of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s concept of the Beloved Community was the focus of ����ɬ����’s annual MLK Celebration on Jan. 30.

A luncheon and panel discussion titled “The Dream of Wellness: Mental Health Advocacy Through the Lens of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” marked the occasion, which was held in the Kent Student Center Ballroom.

Yvonna Washington-Greer, Ph.D., associate vice president of the Division of Student Life, was the emcee for the event, which opened with a performance called “A Griot Speaks Remembering the Real King.” It consisted of poetry and music by Mwatabu S. Okantah, department chair and professor in the Department of Africana Studies and alumnus Vince Robinson.

Amoaba Gooden, Ph.D., vice president for People, Culture and Belonging, made short remarks marking the event as the 57th MLK commemoration at ����ɬ���� and 55 years that the university has observed Black History Month.

“It is fitting to begin this year’s Black History Month with a conversation that deepens our understanding of Dr. King’s transformative contribution to social justice, change and mental health advocacy,” Gooden said. “We are living in extraordinary times where justice, equity and mental health are at the forefront of societal challenges.”

����ɬ���� President Todd Diacon’s message reminded the audience of ����ɬ����’s Core Values – kindness and respect in all that we do and the dictionary definitions of the words, which include generosity, helpfulness, caring and a feeling of deep admiration for someone solicited by their abilities, qualities or achievements.

“We honor Dr. King’s achievements, we honor his abilities and we certainly honor Dr. King’s qualities,” Diacon said. “Today we pay our respect for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and all his associates past and present who worked and continue to work to build a caring and generous society and nation,” Diacon said.

Black United Students President Julian Grimes cautioned the audience against being distracted by social media and to wake up to what is occurring in our country.

Angela Neal-Barnett, Ph.D., professor in ����ɬ����’s Department of Psychological Sciences, moderated the panel discussion. Neal-Barnett is director of the Program for Research on Anxiety Disorders among African Americans. She is the author of “Soothe Your Nerves: The Black Woman’s Guide to Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety, Panic, and Fear.”

Neal-Barnett asked the panel how King’s concept of the Beloved Community aligns with the principles of mental health advocacy.

Panelist , director of education and employment at Rocket Community Fund and a 2015 graduate of ����ɬ����, said equity and economic mobility were at the center of the Beloved Community. It is necessary to deal with conditions such as income disparities, redlining, underfunded schools and healthcare affordability to build the Beloved Community, Logan said.

The thing that stands out for panelist Janice Johnson, a mental health therapist with ����ɬ����’s Department of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), when she thinks about the Beloved Community are collective well-being, advocacy, education and prevention. "All of these things increase the ability to have mental health care and it also reduces the stigma," said Johnson, who joined CAPS in 2022 as the BIPOC-focused (Black, Indigenous and People of Culture) mental health provider.

Panelist Joshua Perkins, Ph.D., associate vice president and dean of students in the Division of Student Life, in serving as director of ����ɬ����’s CARES Center, has seen how external factors exacerbate mental health issues.

The panel discussed how important it is for mental health professionals to take care of themselves as they advocate for others. Because the work is inherently challenging, mental health professionals cannot do it alone; they need support as well. 

The MLK event was streamed on Boxcast.