As speaker and professor Jody Armour addressed the attendees of the first USC “Black Men Will” summit event, he reminded them of their value and the importance of finding empowerment.
“We have the power of dual consciousness…You have to master not only your own subculture’s significance, language, and communication, but you also have to master the dominant culture’s norms and ways of presenting and talking,” said Armour, who is a professor in the USC Gould School of Law, “You come to issues with a dual perspective that makes depth perception possible. Rather than any kind of burden, your binocular disparity and depth perception is are some of the many blessings of Blackness.”
The day-long event, conceptualized by Dr. Dakari Quimby, clinician in Counseling and Mental Health Services in Student Health, and assistant clinical professor in Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, was an opportunity to re-affirm belonging for Black men at USC, creating a space that supports mental well-being and community connection. The event was co-sponsored by the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs.
“We are bringing mental health into focus for our students by being part of cultural communities, and working with our campus partners,” said Dr. Broderick Leaks, director of Counseling and Mental Health Services in USC Student Health, and vice chair of college mental health for the Dept. of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences. “Our embedded counselor and liaison programs make it possible for us to understand more keenly how and where we can provide connection and support to increase mental health access.”
The event featured discussion sessions on leadership, identity, and finding your voice, and a meditation and yoga session let by Amir Madison of Eat Move Meditate, a wellness organization in South Los Angeles.
by USC Student Health Communications, with reporting by Hallie Yong. Photo credit: USC Photo / Josh Cho.
