2nd Annual Black Muslim Psychology Conference

Posted by Muslim Wellness Foundation on June 20, 2016

“2nd Annual Black Muslim Psychology Conference to Highlight the Unique Concerns and Challenges Black Muslims Face in the Pursuit of Wellness”
July 22-23, 2016

How do Black Muslims in America navigate the implications of racial and religious discrimination? The Philadelphia-based Muslim Wellness Foundation seeks to explore this topic and more at the 2nd annual Black Muslim Psychology Conference (BMPC). Titled “Deeply Rooted: Reflections on Black Muslim Activism, Resilience and Healing”,
emerging and prominent Black scholars, activists, leaders, and mental health professionals from across the country, as well as allies and supporters from other communities, will convene from July 22nd-23rd at the beautiful Commonwealth
Chateau at Sugarloaf on the campus of Chestnut Hill College to delve into themes surrounding race, faith, mental health and justice.

People of all faiths and backgrounds are welcomed to attend the two-day conference. Set to be an engaging event, presenters will include Dr. Debra Majeed, Dr. Sakinah Rasheed, Dr. Malik Raheem, Dr. Mona Masood, Dr. Shareefah Al’Uqdah, Dr. Nicole Monteiro, and Dr. Halim Naeem, among others. Noted author and law professor Khaled Beydoun,
anthropologist and writer Donna Auston, and Margari Hill of the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC) will serve as program facilitators.

Co-sponsored by the Department of Professional Psychology at Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), MuslimARC, Muslims Make It Plain and Institute of Muslim Mental Health, workshops and presentations will center on the following topics:

• Impact of historical and intergenerational trauma on self-esteem, relationships and family systems.
• Innovative ways of addressing emotional pain and traumatic stress to improve communal action and institution building.
• Effect of continued systemic racism and oppression on the psychological well-being of Black Muslims.
• Black Muslim activism as an expression of spiritual and cultural resilience
• Self-care as a form of resistance.

“As Black Muslims in the United States, we are faced with the unique challenge of speaking the truth of our spiritual consciousness while also confronting anti-Black racism and anti-Muslim bigotry,” says Muslim Wellness founder Kameelah Mu’Min Rashad, who is spearheading the event. “Yet despite these challenges, we draw upon our faith, ‘deeply rooted’ spirituality, ancestral knowledge and cultural identities to strive towards restoring health and balance in our lives.”

Following up a highly-successful premiere last year, this year’s discussions will further highlight the unique concerns and challenges Black Muslims face. Given the alarming rise in anti-Muslim sentiment and bigotry, it is imperative that mental health professionals, scholars and activists develop an understanding of the psychological needs of Black Muslims. This dialogue will undoubtedly add to the existing literature on intersecting identities, racial and spiritual diversity and increase the cultural competence of clinicians and others who work with the Black Muslim community.

Tickets for the Black Muslim Psychology Conference range from $85 to $100 and are available for purchase online here. Friday’s session will include an onsite Jummah prayer service. Workshop materials as well as breakfast and lunch will be provided for attendees.

For more information:
http://www.BlackMuslimPsychology.org

#BlackMuslimPsychology
#DeeplyRooted

Muslim Wellness Foundation is a nonprofit organization which seeks to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, addiction and trauma in the American Muslim community through dialogue, education and training. For more information on the BMPC, sponsorship or programming, contact Kameelah Mu’Min Rashad at
kameelah@muslimwellness.com.