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Addressing Racial Injustice with Young Children


Register to join a free, hour-long, online conversation with the EmbraceRace community, happening this coming Tuesday, August 28, at 5:30 pm PT/ 8:30 pm ET.

EmbraceRace is a multiracial community of parents, teachers, experts, and other caring adults who support each other to meet the challenges that race poses to our children, families, and communities.

The American Psychological Association recently published a powerful children's book that also serves as a tool for talking about racial injustice with children. "Something Happened in Our Town": A Child's Story About Racial Injustice follows a White family and a Black family as they discuss a police shooting of a Black man.

The three authors - who are psychologists and colleagues - will join us for this conversation. They will present excerpts from the book and discuss how parents can utilize the book to spark conversations about racial injustice and child empowerment. The book includes many resources for parents and educators including child-friendly definitions, sample dialogues, and discussion guides. The authors will also discuss child and family reactions to the book and the challenges of introducing anti-bias programming within community organizations.

Guardians, parents, teachers, social workers, uncles, grandmothers - you're all invited. Registering ensures that you will receive the after-event recording and resources whether you attend live or not.

Agenda

  • 8:30 to 8:55 pm ET: Andrew and Melissa of EmbraceRace introduce tonight's guests and talk to them about their work with kids and families and about their recent children's book.
  • 8:55 to 9:25 pm ET: Q & A with the EmbraceRace community
  • 9:25 to 9:30 pm ET: Closing thoughts.


Marietta Collins, PhD is a clinical psychologist who worked with high-risk children, adolescents, and families as a faculty member at Emory University School of Medicine for over two decades. She has conducted cultural competence training with many healthcare professionals and participated in Emory's Transforming Community Project, which sought to examine the role of slavery and race at Emory and other educational institutions. During her tenure at Emory, she was sought out to chair and serve on various committees addressing issues related to race and social justice on campus. Since 2016, she has been an Associate Professor and the Director of Behavioral Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine. In this role she provides psychological services to underserved adults, youth, and families. She is actively involved in her church and enjoys mentoring African-American children, adolescents, and early career professionals.

Marianne Celano, PhD, ABPP is a family psychologist and professor at the Emory University School of Medicine, where she is involved in teaching psychology and psychiatry trainees to provide behavioral health services to children and families. Dr. Celano specializes in treatment of children, including those who have experienced traumatic events. She has developed and used therapeutic storytelling to help children and families heal and understand one another better. She has also written short stories and poetry for family and friends. She is committed to community advocacy efforts focused on social justice and improving children’s behavioral health services.

Ann Hazzard, PhD, ABPP is a clinical psychologist and recently retired Associate Professor at Emory University School of Medicine. While at Emory, she worked at a children's hospital that served low-income, primarily African-American families. She supervised pediatrics and psychology residents and conducted research on child trauma and other issues, publishing 30 articles in professional journals. She has been a board member of several community nonprofits, including organizations focused on child abuse prevention, bereavement support for children, and promotion of children's literacy. She developed therapeutic stories for many child clients when she was a practicing psychologist and is enjoying the freedom to expand her creative efforts during retirement.

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