In a society where its members believe that one color or race is superior to another, its members who belong to the racial minority experience poor treatment based on these beliefs causing them social-emotional trauma. These racialized experiences get further accentuated by false narratives perpetuated by the society unbeknownst to its members which leads to an artificial gap that directly contradicts our mission of wanting to provide equal opportunities to ALL scholars. The trauma-informed approach to education considers these nuances and prioritizes the mission of challenging these false narratives.

On this episode, Spalding University’s Chief Diversity Officer, Associate Professor in Spalding University’s School of Professional Psychology, and Coordinator for the Collective Care Center Racial Trauma Clinic, Dr. Steven Kniffley, discusses what race-based stress and trauma is all about and how that impacts learning and personal agency of our young minority scholars. Helping young learners to take responsibility for their own learning to become self-reliant adults hinges on forming future-forward goals, good habits, and strategic plans based on personal priorities; however, the journey towards homing one’s Executive Function skills isn’t same for all children and we must understand the distinctions and use discernment when designing educational opportunities for these children.

About Steven D Kniffley Jr., PsyD ABPP MPA
Steven D. Kniffley Jr., PsyD MPA ABPP  is Spalding University’s Chief Diversity Officer, an Associate  Professor in Spalding University’s School of Professional Psychology, and Coordinator for the Collective Care Center Racial Trauma Clinic. Dr. Kniffley's area of expertise is research and clinical work with Black males and the treatment of race based stress and trauma. Dr. Kniffley also serves as an organizational diversity consultant and works with law enforcement departments on addressing conflicts between communities of color and police officers.  Dr. Kniffley has written numerous books, book chapters, and articles on Black male mental health, Black males and the criminal justice system, racial trauma treatment and training, and academic achievement. Additionally, Dr. Kniffley was recently selected as one of Louisville’s top 40 under 40 for 2020, a recipient of the 2020 MediStar Healthcare Advocacy Award, a 2021 Louisville Healthcare Hero, and the inaugural recipient of the University of Louisville Diversity Leadership Award.

Website: https://drstevenkniffleyjr.com/

Books:

• Knowledge of self: Understanding the mind of the Black male
• Out of K.O.S. (Knowledge of Self): Black Masculinity, Psychopathology, and Treatment
• The Black Man's Guide to Graduate School
• Black Males and the Criminal Justice System

About Host, Sucheta Kamath
Sucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.

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