DESCRIPTION

The US has an established history of racial violence and social regression in response to Black progress and social justice gains. The arc of this pattern, first evident after post-Civil War Reconstruction, continues to manifest following the post-Obama presidency of 2008-2016. After the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, a door briefly opened onto a period of racial awakening and a renewed commitment to dismantle structural racism through diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This webinar will examine why that door closed just as quickly as it opened, due to an acceleration of rhetoric designed to stifle free speech, racial literacy and critical thinking while sowing psychological chaos. The speaker will examine the use of either/or “Black or white” thinking to manage shame developed in response to this awareness of racial injustice and corresponding racial awakening.

 
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Identify key dates in the historical arc of Black progress and resistance to social justice gains
• Describe individual and group use of either/or racial thinking to manage shame 
• Describe some risks and potential consequences of legislative attacks on freedom of speech and suppression of racial literacy which includes bans on critical race theory and DEI
• List strategies for facilitating free speech in clinical care, education and training

PRESENTER

Constance E. Dunlap, MD, DLFAPA is a psychoanalyst and board-certified psychiatrist in Washington, DC. She is the owner of Catawba Springs Health, LLC that provides comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, direct clinical care, and consultations. Dr. Dunlap received her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine and she completed residency training in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences where she is clinical professor of psychiatry. She is a graduate of the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute in DC.  Honors include Fellowship in the American College of Psychiatrists, where she is a member of the Diversity Respectful Inclusion & Equity Committee, and Distinguished Fellowship in the American Psychiatric Association (APA) where she is an active leader in the Assembly. Throughout her professional career, Dr. Dunlap has been interested in the impact of racialized identity on interpersonal and group dynamics and relationships. 

HOST

Annelle Primm, M.D., MPH is the Senior Medical Director of the Steve Fund, an organization focused on the mental health of young people of color. She is also a member of the Black Psychiatrists of America Council of Elders.

AUDIENCE

Mental health clinicians (psychiatrists, psychologists, nurse practitioners, social workers, licensed professional counselors), trainees, and supervisors interested in a psychodynamic understanding of racial dynamics