I am pleased to announce that I have been selected as the Factor-Inwentash Endowed Chair in Social Work in the Global Community. The Chair in Social Work in the Global Community is housed in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto, situated in one of the world’s most culturally diverse cities. The Chair in Social Work in the Global Community is responsible for building on existing partnerships between the Faculty of Social Work and organizations representing Canada’s diverse population; seeking and evaluating ways to improve services for individuals, families and communities in Canada and abroad; and furthering the development of the Faculty’s existing international collaborations and partnerships with individuals and institutions around the world.
I am particularly excited about the opportunities the Factor-Inwentash Chair in Social Work in the Global Community will provide to the advancement of a global legacy of culturally-responsive research and practice for overrepresented but under-researched African American, African and Caribbean survivors of homicide victims.
Homicide-related death has an immense impact on the mental, physical, and spiritual well-being of family members and friends, who must face the daunting challenge of learning to survive the homicide of their loved one. However, research on African American, African, and Caribbean people and homicide has historically focused on perpetrators and victims of homicide violence and has neglected to examine the impact of homicide violence on the family and friends of homicide victims. The scarcity of research relevant to African American, African, and Caribbean survivors of homicide victims leaves policy makers and practitioners with little data to develop culturally relevant and evidenced-based interventions to support this underserved, yet overrepresented, population.
For over a decade, my research has been squarely focused on examining sociocultural factors that influence the coping strategies of African American family members of homicide victims for the purpose of developing culturally appropriate interventions that can best assist them in their management of grief and bereavement. My findings have advanced theoretical discourse and evidence-based practice relevant to the intersection of race, culture, homicide violence, and violent victimization in the United States. My studies have provided insight into the cultural and linguistic values and practices of African American survivors of homicide victims, thereby helping to inform, develop and assess services designed to support African American survivors of homicide victims as they attempt to manage their grief.
Given the international familial pathways between Canada, the U.S. and the U.K as African American, African and Caribbean families have members who reside within and across these countries, it is imperative that an expansion of my research entail exploring and nurturing community-based, cross national, interdisciplinary collaborations to develop interventions and advance global scholarship relevant to the mental, behavioral, physical and spiritual health outcomes of African American, African, and Caribbean survivors of homicide victims.
The racialized dimensions of homicide violence and social injustice and their disproportionate impact on Black communities should be at the forefront of local, national, and international social justice policy and practice. To further mobilize knowledge in the area of homicide violence and violent victimization as the Factor-Inwentash Chair in Social Work in the Global Community, I envision showcasing the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work as a flagship for gathering global crosscutting expertise to collectively advance research, scholarship, and teaching in this area.
I am honored to receive such a distinguished appointment and look forward to the opportunity to lead local, national, and global conversations around effective, culturally responsive, and just responses to the causes and consequences of homicide violence and violent victimization.
I am particularly excited about the opportunities the Factor-Inwentash Chair in Social Work in the Global Community will provide to the advancement of a global legacy of culturally-responsive research and practice for overrepresented but under-researched African American, African and Caribbean survivors of homicide victims.
Homicide-related death has an immense impact on the mental, physical, and spiritual well-being of family members and friends, who must face the daunting challenge of learning to survive the homicide of their loved one. However, research on African American, African, and Caribbean people and homicide has historically focused on perpetrators and victims of homicide violence and has neglected to examine the impact of homicide violence on the family and friends of homicide victims. The scarcity of research relevant to African American, African, and Caribbean survivors of homicide victims leaves policy makers and practitioners with little data to develop culturally relevant and evidenced-based interventions to support this underserved, yet overrepresented, population.
For over a decade, my research has been squarely focused on examining sociocultural factors that influence the coping strategies of African American family members of homicide victims for the purpose of developing culturally appropriate interventions that can best assist them in their management of grief and bereavement. My findings have advanced theoretical discourse and evidence-based practice relevant to the intersection of race, culture, homicide violence, and violent victimization in the United States. My studies have provided insight into the cultural and linguistic values and practices of African American survivors of homicide victims, thereby helping to inform, develop and assess services designed to support African American survivors of homicide victims as they attempt to manage their grief.
Given the international familial pathways between Canada, the U.S. and the U.K as African American, African and Caribbean families have members who reside within and across these countries, it is imperative that an expansion of my research entail exploring and nurturing community-based, cross national, interdisciplinary collaborations to develop interventions and advance global scholarship relevant to the mental, behavioral, physical and spiritual health outcomes of African American, African, and Caribbean survivors of homicide victims.
The racialized dimensions of homicide violence and social injustice and their disproportionate impact on Black communities should be at the forefront of local, national, and international social justice policy and practice. To further mobilize knowledge in the area of homicide violence and violent victimization as the Factor-Inwentash Chair in Social Work in the Global Community, I envision showcasing the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work as a flagship for gathering global crosscutting expertise to collectively advance research, scholarship, and teaching in this area.
I am honored to receive such a distinguished appointment and look forward to the opportunity to lead local, national, and global conversations around effective, culturally responsive, and just responses to the causes and consequences of homicide violence and violent victimization.