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Doerr Center for Social Justice

pro's Emmett J. and Mary Martha Doerr Center for Social Justice Education and Research is an independently funded center within SLU’s School of Social Work that promotes long-range solutions to social problems through education and research.

Established in 1996 thanks to an endowment by the Doerrs, descendants of a 1937 graduate, the center sponsors an annual Social Justice Lecture event, featuring important keynote speakers on social justice issues, as well as faculty research and awards to students for international travel and dissertations. 

Upcoming Events 

Keynote Lecture: Decolonizing Therapy ™: Healing The Colonial Soul Wound in Psychology with Jennifer Mullan

Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024

Jennifer Mullan, Psy. D., will invite participants on a journey towards acknowledging, unlearning, and revitalizing their emotional-decolonial process of ancestral self-discovery. This interactive workshop will discuss why it is important for mental health professionals to take an emotional-decolonial approach and “shift our perspective” in how we provide services. This workshop will cover the core wound trauma of colonization resulting from cultural, historical, and ancestral trauma. As well as the impact of structural and systemic oppression on clients and practitioners.

Decolonizing Therapy’s ® framework will invite practitioners to consider how rage, grief, and shame are often pathologized- and how the personal is indeed political. This workshop seeks to expand our story and reframe how therapy is conducted; instead offering the creation of community support for therapists to create new pathways to healing, not just “treating.” The aim of this workshop is for attendees to have instilled confidence in unlearning and reclaiming; while walking away with actionable steps to politicize their practices!

Workshop: Decolonizing Therapy ™: Intro to Decolonizing Mental Health with Jennifer Mullan

Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 

Jennifer Mullan, Psy. D., will guide participants through a presentation that will connect colonization to the mental health industry, and begin to slowly unpack the oppressive legacy of modern mental health practices- and their importance. We will look at the roots of many people’s emotional wounding and focus on the importance of healing within a sociopolitical lens, particularly for Queer, Indigenous, Black, Brown, and People of Color (QIBPOC).

Past Events

RaceTalk Workshop Series: Systemic Racism and Anti-Blackness Lecture and Facilitated Discussion with Bedelia Richards, Ph.D.

Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023 (Part One) and Feb. 9, 2024 (Part Two)

Join Bedelia Richards, Ph.D., a renowned race scholar, for a two-part workshop series for undergraduate and graduate SLU faculty. Part one of this free series will focus on enhancing faculty skills related to conducting cross-racial dialogues in the classroom and beyond. Part two of the workshop will assist faculty in incorporating these skills into their teaching. Faculty will have the opportunity to develop lesson plans and classroom activities designed to teach cross-racial dialogue skills to students. 

2024-2026 Doerr Fellows

The Doerr Fellowship for Equity and Inclusion is a two-year full-tuition fellowship funded by the School of Social Work for new students. This fellowship requires recipients to serve as members of the School of Social Work's Equity and Inclusion Committee. Recipients are also expected to actively participate in the Doerr Center's diversity, equity and inclusion activities throughout the year. 

For the 2024-2026 academic cycle, the Doerr Center has awarded the fellowship opportunity to two incoming Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) graduate students. 

Mahlik Good

As a Doerr Fellow, Mahlik Good passionately empowers individuals to become their best selves, with a particular focus on the unique needs of BIPOC communities. Guided by a commitment to fostering inclusive environments, Mahlik creates spaces where every voice is heard and valued. Complementing this mission, Mahlik holds an Engaging in Bold, Inclusive Conversations® (BIC) Facilitator Certification, which enhances his ability to facilitate meaningful dialogue across cultural differences.

Latoya Wilson

Latoya Wilson is a self-proclaimed Chief Executive Social Servant. She is an advocate for social policy reform, who thrives at communicating impact to individuals and communities. Her ability to communicate, innovate, organize, impact, and facilitate enables her to be a driving force for change. Latoya’s rallying cry to engaging individuals and communities is that “No help is coming…We Are Our Help!”