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BLACK LIKE WHO? 02.04.2014

<p> Psychologically healthy Black adults is a paradigm that&rsquo;s often absent from mainstream mental health awareness initiatives. In fact, according to Jones (2008) &ldquo;given the social and cultural conditions under which Black Americans live, psychological health [is seen as] an impossibility.&rdquo; Currently the research tells us the psychologically healthy Black adults have several key characteristics: overall positive self- concept, positive concept of the Black community and a positive connection to this community, maintaining an accurate perception of their social environment (including its racism), and adapting to both the Black and majority communities.&nbsp; As young adults, college students who acquire and maintain a skillset to attend to their psychological needs create a lifestyle that helps them manage future psychological stressors.</p> <p> <strong>Movie Description:</strong></p> <p> In this painfully honest documentary, filmmaker Debbie Reynolds explores themes of assimilation, internalized racism and self-hatred. Debbie is a Black student who grew up in a white neighborhood, went to white schools, had white friends, and did not think about being Black. As she grew older and left home, her new friends at college noticed her inability to relate easily to other blacks. Debbie realized she had a troubling identity problem and she searched for its origins within her family. Interviewing her parents, she learns that her father&#39;s middle class aspirations led him to a tidy white suburb, safe from drugs and crime. Yet he recalls his amazement when six-year-old Debbie did not realize she was Black. In retrospect, her mother mourns that they did not instill Black pride in their children. Debbie questions her fellow Black students about what it means to be Black. &quot;We are all searching,&quot; they say. Even those who grew up with a strong Black identity are still not clear how they fit into the larger society. They each struggle to understand how their race and ethnicity shape their sense of self. This is a unique film to spark discussion on racial identity.</p> <p> <strong>Tuesday, February 4, 2014</strong></p> <p> <strong>5pm</strong></p> <p> <strong>Webb Center</strong></p> <p> <strong>Hampton/Newport News Room</strong></p> <p> <em>Co-Sponsors: </em></p> <p> Office of Counseling Services</p> <p> F.I.R.S.T. (Females Inspired by Reaching Success Together)</p>

Posted By: Janae Taylor
Date: Mon Feb 03 09:27:40 EST 2014

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