What does it mean to be a Black student at UM? Join us in welcoming Cescily Barnes, Brandon Bond, Charles Phillips, Karina Forsythe, and Onyinye Nwankwo as they share their own journey’s navigating education.

The purpose of this event is to showcase the personal journeys Black students have taken to get to where they are today in their academic programs. This event will provide the ups and downs of being a student of color navigating the world of higher education and provide insight as to how we can advocate for systemic change and equitable, accessible, education.This event is sponsored by Students of Color of Rackham (SCOR) and Rackham Student Government (RSG).Moderator: Shana D. Littleton is a 3rd year Ph.D. candidate in the Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Sciences Program at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. Her research aims to distinguish between genetic and social factors that play a role in the racial disparity of treatment outcomes in heart failure patients. Shana received her bachelor's degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign. Since an undergraduate student, she has served as a leader in her communities including being vice president of the student organization Her Essence. This group worked to empower and promote the professional advancement of women. Now, at the University of Michigan, Shana is the president of Students of Color Of Rackham (SCOR). SCOR hosts a wide range of events geared towards networking, professionalism, research, activism, volunteer service and social needs of minoritized graduate students. This group helps to create community and foster relationships among students across the different graduate and professional schools at University of Michigan. Shana aspires to expand her work in the field of precision medicine by using the latest tools, such as genetic screenings, to advance care and address racial health disparities facing communities of color. Knowing that biomedical research often lacks representation from underserved and underrepresented communities, she hopes to use aspects of social and genetic research to implement precision health for these individuals.Panelists: Cescily Barnes is a native Detroiter. She completed her BS at UMichigan and is currently a MPH in Health Behavior & Health Education student. She is currently the president of Public Health Students of African Descent (PHSAD), a board member of Future Leaders of Focus HOPE, a fellow of New Leaders Council (NLC), a GSI for the Department of Women and Gender Studies, and former project manager of the Gender Consciousness Project. She believes that several systemic barriers impede children's access to education from the moment they are born. The lack of access to quality education for Black children is a health disparity that must be addressed as a public health crisis. For Black children to have access to equal opportunities and resources for advancement as a generation, the education system must be completely transformed to eliminate structural inequalities.

Brandon Bond, MPH, LLMSW-Macro, is a Mental Health & Well-Being Student Advocate Consultant at the University of Michigan where he is responsible for assessing the needs of students, advocating for systemic-level changes, and implementing solutions that produce health-promoting environments. Brandon is a first-generation graduate of the University of Michigan. He received a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior & Health Education with an Injury Science focus and a double concentration in Global Social Work Practice and Management & Leadership with a Trauma-Informed Practice focus for his Master of Social Work. He also did his undergraduate degree at UM and double majored in Biopsychology, Cognition, Neuroscience and International Studies: Global Environment and Health with a Community Action Social Change minor. His research foci include the impact that cultural conceptions of mental health have on one’s health-seeking behavior; DEI/culturally tailored integrative health interventions and LGBTQ+ mental health within African nations. Brandon has worked on initiatives to support the 2SLGBTQ+ community, advance public safety reform, and create and facilitate training and programs for BIPOC empowerment. Outside of the university setting, Brandon is a Human Rights Commissioner for the City of Ann Arbor’s Human Rights Commission and on the Board of Directors for the suicide prevention non-profit, Garrett's Space.

Karina Forsythe is a first-generation doctoral student from Detroit. Currently, a first year in the Combined Program for Education and Psychology, Karina completed her Bachelor's in Elementary Education (Mathematics) from U of M in 2020. During which, she founded Curl Talk @ Umich. In her time away from Ann Arbor, Karina taught 5th grade in a suburb of Chicago. Currently, Karina is co-founder/president of the Black Graduate Student Association, a member of the Black Student Psychological Association and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Karina’s research interests seek to understand how Black identity, belonging within mathematics classrooms and trauma responses to anti-Black violence impact the emotional and academic wellbeing of elementary-aged Black students in white spaces. Given this interest, Karina believes that holding schools and teachers accountable for uplifting Black students is the influential change needed to positively impact Black children's educational outcomes.

Onyinye Nwankwo is from Enugu, Nigeria. Currently, a second-year PhD in Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering (CLaSP) candidate, Onyinye graduated from Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Nigeria. On campus, she is the DEI-Chair for GUStO, Treasurer for GRIN, and Treasurer for GSBES. She believes that access to education is a crucial aspect of every child's development and has a significant impact on their future prospects. For Black children and young adults, access to quality education has historically been limited due to systemic racism and discrimination. These inequities have resulted in disparities in educational outcomes, with Black students being more likely to attend under-resourced schools, receive lower quality instruction, and face higher rates of suspension and expulsion. Despite some progress in recent years, the achievement gap between Black and white students remains persistent and significant. To address this issue, it is important for policymakers and educators to prioritize equity in education and provide equal access to quality educational opportunities for all students, regardless of race. Solutions may involve increased funding for under-resourced schools, providing teachers with professional development to support culturally responsive teaching, and addressing systemic biases in the education system. Ultimately, ensuring that Black children and young adults have access to quality education is crucial for promoting social and economic mobility and creating a more equitable society.

Charles Phillips, aka “Chaz” was born and raised just outside of Dallas, Texas. Chaz is currently a 1st year Educational Studies Ph.D. Student in the School of Education. He earned his Bachelors of Science in Mathematics as a proud graduate of Morehouse College, a Historically Black College or University. As a secondary mathematics teacher in the US and around the world, he has traveled to over 70 different countries. He has taught in formal and informal educational institutions for over 20 years. Previously, Chaz led a Black Lives Matter and Roma Rights protest in Bulgaria. He has also developed and led professional developments in how teachers can support students while they bring their full lives into the classroom and how to make new technology less disruptive in your classroom. Chaz has also developed and implemented Black History Month programs in schools located in Bulgaria and South Korea. Currently, he serves as the Political Action Chair of SCOR, a member of the School of Education’s dije Student Advisory Board, the Outreach Chair of the newly created Black Graduate Student Association, and last but certainly not least, he is a member of the oldest, boldest, and coldest fraternity in the world, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Chaz believes Black children’s/young adults’ access to education can be looked at how resources are cultivated and allocated in their school/district/state. Using the taxes from the local neighborhood limits programs that prepare students for post-secondary schooling, tutoring, and exposure to the careers students can develop from the degrees they earn. These are just some of the opportunities that many miss out on because we are in an educational system that prioritizes a score on a test than actually aiding students to develop and learn as they see fit.