ABAC celebrated Black History Month with a series of educational programs and events. At the forefront of the celebration is Dr. Jewrell Rivers, a sociology professor in the school of Arts and Sciences at ABAC.
In collaboration with the Campus Activities Board (CAB) and Active Minds, Rivers has worked to commemorate the month, starting with the release of his blog, made accessible to all faculty and students through email.
The blog, titled “A Brief History: Black Americans in Higher Education,” aims to highlight achievements Black Americans have attributed to education in America. The same day the blog was released, a lecture titled “The Power of Mental Wealth: Empowerment for the Black Community” was hosted in the chapel along with a reading of poet Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” by ABAC student Beyonce’ Parker, as well as selections from Reverend Timothy Lewis and Reverend Veronica Anderson-Lewis.
An additional blog titled “Black History Month 2024: African Americans and the Arts,” was released and made available through Cengage. The blog featured Black authors, teachers, and artists that had a significant impact on art and education.
The lecture featured insight from Dr. Demetria Hill, owner of a Work In Progress, LLC, and Mrs. JaTayria Thomas, owner of Tax ResolveHER. Both women spoke on behalf on of the Mental Wealth Center, a community resource based in Valdosta, Georgia.
Other lectures and workshops led by community professionals have included “Suicide Prevention of Black Males,” “A Workshop on Trauma-Informed Practice, EMDR, and Self-Care,” and “Living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Veterans Perspective, An Innovative Approach, Coping and Strategy Intervention.” A panel on grief support for campus loss was hosted by Dr. Rivers, psychology professor and counselor Dr. Shubha Chatterjee, and Chaplain Raymond Andrews.
Included in the month’s festivities were film and documentary screenings. The films “Ray” and “The Soloist,” based on the lives of musicians Ray Charles and Nathania Ayers respectively, was played with a focus on disabilities in the Black community. The documentaries “HUSH: Help Us Say Help” and “I’m Good, Bro: Unmasking Black Male Depression” covered generational trauma and historical influence on how Black mental health is dealt with.
For a more interactive approach, ABAC students participated in a mental health screening, hosted by Chatterjee. Rivers took AAMI members to an agency tour of local community resources, as well to the African American Collegiate Male National Summit in Atlanta, Georgia.
Most of the events have been hosted by members of ABAC’s African-American Male Initiative (AAMI) program. AAMI is an initiative that was created to help identify barriers that Black males face on a collegiate level, as well as promote higher retention rates.
The program first got its start back in 2000, as the University System of Georgia released information verifying the low college enrollment rates of Black males in comparison their total numbers in the population in schools across the state. With its success, there is hope of starting a female version of the program to address the unique needs of Black women on campus.
Before his work at ABAC, Rivers served as a minority counselor at Valdosta State University (VSU) for six years. From tutoring to providing graduation support, he helped maintain college enrollment of students who may otherwise be discouraged by systemic issues. At ABAC, he can still fulfill that role in a different capacity, in addition to his professor duties. He also serves on several community boards and is a chaplain for a local hospice service.
His focus on Black male students comes from lived experiences, acknowledging the racial disparities in college enrollment while he worked his way up from a masters to a doctorate.
“By the time I got to graduate school, I was the only Black male there,” Rivers said.
Rivers believes that certain struggles surround the topic of mental health in the Black community.
“A lot of people in the community tend to shy away from talking about the subject of mental health; it’s taboo. If we do [talk about it], we might take it to church or a preacher. We should recognize that it is also okay for us to seek professional help as well,” said Rivers.
Along with mental health struggles, Rivers acknowledges that people in the Black community are disproportionately affected by issues such as poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence, and incarceration in relation to other groups. Issues that can affect anyone of any socioeconomic background are often exacerbated due to systemic oppression and mistreatment.
To prepare for Black History Month, Rivers worked with Dr. Alan Kramer to plan the festivities so that many of these issues can be highlighted. He hopes as a sociologist, professor, and working professional that he can help promote having important conversations while also highlighting the contributions of Black Americans and encouraging the success of students at ABAC.
For more information about AAMI or Black History Month activities at ABAC, contact Dr. Rivers at jrivers@abac.edu.