By snoadmin
“When you get to the place where you have to separate your body from your mind, heart and spirit, you are not walking in wholeness,” said Thelma Bryant-Davis, an assistant professor of counseling and psychology during the 27th Annual Black Consciousness Conference.
The three-day event held in the University Student Union Thursday through Saturday explored the many aspects of mental, physical and spiritual health affecting African-American college students and the African-American population in general.
“I was a college student not long ago, so I know what it means to be the hope of your family and the pressure that goes along with it to succeed,” Bryant-Davis said. She also said that it leaves African-American students walking in stress.
Bryant said taking care of the body and mind and having faith in something were the steps toward walking in wholeness. She also said students need to pursue goals with conviction and not just try to make it through.
“It’s important to achieve excellence and reach your potential. Then use that ability to transform your community,” she said.
Cal Poly Pomona’s Black Student Union had over 25 students present. Carl Harris, the organization’s president, said it was trying to find ways to connect with other Black Student Unions.
“It’s a great way to network and share information about how to solve problems we share with other college campuses,” Harris said.
Patricia-Anne Johnson, a professor in the CSULB women’s studies department, conducted a lively activity with students that focused on African-American male and female relationships. She pointed out the difficulty for many black women to find the balance between love and power.
“Women in our culture are taught not to crow about themselves, often letting the male dominate relationships,” Johnson said.
She said the patriarchal model that has existed for centuries only serves to subjugate women and certainly doesn’t work in black families because of its history.
“Any time I assert my independence or strongly express my thoughts, I’m seen as not being feminine or I lose my femininity or something,” said Francesca Freeman, a senior health care administration major.
Saturday’s highlight was a presentation called “Freeing Ourselves from Mental Slavery, Reunifying the Community, and Overcoming Post Traumatic Slave Disorder.” The presentation was given by keynote speaker Joy DeGruy-Leary, an assistant professor at Portland State University,
DeGruy-Leary said the African-American people have been traumatized, which is a symptom of the social oppression and the destruction of African culture that has been the history of African-Americans in the country. She said African-Americans function in an “adaptive behavior to a hostile environment.”
She said African-Americans have endured trauma from the slave ships that brought them here, to back-breaking work, to families torn apart, to lynching, to burning, to Jim Crow and right up to Katrina with no treatment.
“They have treatment for soldiers and others who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder,” DeGruy-Leary said. “It’s plausible that over 300 years of slavery and other indignities have left the black community traumatized and depressed from generation to generation.”
The event Thursday had a talent show featuring a poetry form called spoken word, gospel-rap and dancing. African Student Union Vice President Tracee Logan said she was really proud her group did a good job of providing acts for the show.
“All the groups did a good job of being as positive as possible.”
To view more photos of the 27th Annual Black Consciousness Conference, visit Daily49er.com.
