Bunker Hill Community College

Bunker Hill Community College Mobile and Tablet Version

2023 Center for Equity and Cultural Wealth Institute

Wellness and Cultural Wealth: Exploring Racism and Mental Health in Higher Education

June 7 and 8:  Two-day Virtual Event
June 8: Dinner/performance (limited attendance)

2023 CECW Institute will focus on the impact of institutional racism in higher education on the wellness and mental health of students, staff, faculty, and administrators who identify as Black, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander and Indigenous, including those with intersecting LGBTQIA+ identities. 

Featuring nationally recognized leaders, student-centered, and interactive sessions, the institute will explore ways that higher education institutions can respond effectively to the equity and mental health concerns of their community members of color. Spotlighted will be efforts, rooted in Community Cultural Wealth, that foster creative, protective, and activist spaces that strengthen resilience and wellness, and drive institutional change.

Registration Information

To register, visit: https://events.hubilo.com/cecw2023/register

Registration Tickets / Fees

  • 1 day (June 7 or June 8):  $100 
  • 2 days (June 7 and June 8):  $150 
  • Register for 2 days before May 19: $120  Use registration Code (case sensitive): EARLYBIRD

Group Registration

Available only for multiple two-day registrations from the same organization. Group rates will appear on the payment page. You do not need a code. 

  • 5+ people:  $75 per person
  • 10+ people: $45 per person

If payment presents a hardship, please contact Emily Singer at emily.singer@bhcc.edu. We are happy to provide a reduced rate or waiver. 

BHCC faculty, staff and students, please refer to internal communication for a registration code. Without it the system will prompt you to provide payment. 

Featured Speakers

Joy DeGruy headshotDr. Joy Angela DeGruy

Dr. Joy Angela DeGruy is a nationally and internationally renowned researcher and educator. For over two decades, she served as an Assistant Professor at Portland State University’s School of Social Work and now serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Joy DeGruy Publications Inc. Dr. DeGruy’s research focuses on the intersection of racism, trauma, violence and American chattel slavery. She has over thirty years of practical experience as a professional in the field of social work. She conducts seminars, lectures, and trainings in the areas of Intergenerational/Historical trauma, mental health, social justice, improvement strategies and evidence based model development.

Dr. DeGruy has published numerous refereed journal articles and authored her seminal book entitled “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury & Healing.” She has developed the “African American Male Adolescent Respect Scale” an assessment instrument designed to broaden our understanding of the challenges facing these youth in an effort to prevent their representation in the criminal justice system. 

Dr. Angel Acosta

Acosta HeadshotDr. Angel Acosta works to bridge the fields of leadership, social justice and mindfulness. As a member of the 400 Years of Inequality Project, he designed the Contemplating 400 Years of Inequality Experience to support with understanding structural inequality through a mindfulness-based and contemplative approach. Angel is a proud first-generation Dominican-American and graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh. He completed his Ed.D. in the Curriculum and Teaching Department at Teachers College, Columbia University. He is currently the Director of the Garrison Institute’s Fellowship Program. He serves as the Creative Director at the NYC Healing Collective, a community initiative curating work and insights at the intersection of healing, wellness, and societal transformation. To support with expanding his research he is currently building the Acosta Institute--a digital learning and research lab fostering innovation at the intersection of healing-centered education, contemplative social science, and slow work.

The 2023 Institute Outcomes

  1. Understand and analyze the historical roots of institutional racism in higher education.
  2. Understand and analyze the impacts of institutional racism on the wellness and mental health of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander and Indigenous members of a higher education community and the urgent need for reform.
  3. Identify and understand the contributions of Black, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Indigenous educators, including those with intersecting LGBTQIA+ identities, to the advancement of equity in higher education, and the far-reaching impact of this work on the wellness of communities of color.
  4. Identify and understand specific policies and practices higher education institutions can enact to advance the mental health and equity of Black, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Indigenous people. 
  5. Recognize and apply creativity, healing practices, and activism rooted in Community Cultural Wealth, to foster institutional equity and wellness for people of color in higher education.
  6. Develop and strengthen professional networks and partnerships to advance equity and wellness of Black, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Indigenous people in higher education institutions.