JUly 2004
"I hold that until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned; that until there is no longer any first-class and second-class citizens of any nation; that until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; that until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, without regard to race -- until that day, the dreams of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained: Speech by H.I.M. HAILE SELASSIE I - California 28th February 1968
BOB
MARLEY
AND
PINK
FLOYD 
THE WARRIORS WOULD MAKE A KEY JOURNEY TO ALBANY NEW YORK TO WITNESS THE BEGINNING OF A ROCK BAND FINALLY ETCH THEIR NAME IN HISTORY. BUT MY BRETHREN, THE WARRIORS WOULD WITNESS THIS BAND PLAY IN A TINY AUDITORIUM ONLY WITH A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE AND THE MUSICAL EXPERIENCE WOULD BE CARVED INTO THE WARRIORS MINDS FOR LIFE.
SONG: No Woman No Cry No, woman no cry no, woman no cry no, woman no cry no, woman no cry Say I remember when we used to sit in the government yard in Trenchtown Ob- observing all the hypocrites as they'd mingle with the good people we met Good friends we had and good friends we lost along the way in this bright future you can forget your past so dry your tears I say. no, woman no cry no, woman no cry Hey little darling don't shed no tears no, woman no cry I remember when we used to sit in the government yard in Trenchtown and then georgie would make a fire light as it was love wood burning through the night and we would cook wholemeal porridge of which I'd share with you my feet is my only carriage so I've got to push on through but while I'm gone (I mean it) ev'rything's gonna be allright ev'rything's gonna be allright ev'rything's gonna be allright ev'rything's gonna be allright ev'rything's gonna be allright ev'rything's gonna be allright ev'rything's gonna be allright ev'rything's gonna be allright No, woman no cry No, woman no cry Oh my little sister don't shed no tears no, woman no cry
MEHARRY SEMINAR TO
EXPLORE MENTAL EFFECTS OF RACISM
Meharry Medical College is the nation's largest private,
independent historically black institution dedicated
solely to educating health science professionals. The
College is particularly well known for its uniquely
nurturing, highly effective educational programs;
preeminence in health disparities research; culturally
sensitive, evidence-based health services; and
significant contribution to the
diversity of the nation's health professions workforce.
Black Issues in Higher Education's ranking of
institutions annually lists Meharry as the top educator
of African Americans with M.D. and D.D.S. degrees and
Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical sciences.
'Creativity and Madness in the African Diaspora'
scheduled for Friday
Nashville, TN - The psychological effects of racial
oppression and abandonment will be examined this week
during a seminar Friday in the Department of Psychiatry
and Behavioral Sciences at Meharry Medical College, June
23, 2004
The seminar is titled "Creativity and Madness in the
African Diaspora: From Toussiant L' Overture to Marley to
Walker to Malvo." It examines how systemic racism
has pushed some blacks to heroic
acts and artistic genius while others have been pushed to
violence, mental illness and ultimate self-destruction.
"These two disparate psychological reactions -
represented positively in musician Bob Marley and
negatively in convicted D.C.-snipers John Muhammad and
Lee Boyd Malvo - deserve in-depth study," said Dr.
Denese Shervington, chair of the Department of Psychiatry
and Behavioral Sciences at Meharry. "In order to
help prevent other sniper-like attacks by blacks,
communities of behavioral scientists must explore the
underlying rage in Muhammad and Malvo in a manner similar
to how the perpetrators of the Columbine High School
killings have been examined," Shervington
said.
The seminar will be held from 1-5 p.m. Friday at Meharry
in the Wendell F. Cox Auditorium in the School of
Dentistry, which faces Meharry Boulevard at Dr. D.B. Todd
Jr. Boulevard. Admission is
free, and a reception will be held afterward. This
seminar is the first in a series sponsored by Meharry's
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
"When blacks discovered the snipers were black, we
were stunned," Shervington said. "The problem
is we never talked about it and expressed our feelings
about the incident and what could have led to such
violence.
"This conference makes us deal with ourselves and
examine how racial oppression has affected our
psyche." The seminar consists of the following four
sessions:
* From 1-2 p.m., "Mad, Bad, Sad: A Socio-cultural
Analysis of the Life of the Barrel Children of 
Jamaica: DC Sniper, Lee Boyd
Malvo," presented by Dr. Wendel Abel, associate
professor of
psychiatry at the University of the West Indies in
Kingston, Jamaica.
* From 2 - 2:45 p.m., "Themes of Maternal
Abandonment in the Literature of the Diaspora: Alice
Walker, Jamaica Kincaid and Denese Shervington,"
presented by Shervington.
* From 3:15 - 3:45 p.m., "Celebrating the Haitian
Revolution through Art," presented by visual artist
Ulrick Jean Pierre.
* From 3:45 - 4:30 p.m., "From Oppression to
Enlightenment - Celebrating the Music of Robert Nesta
Marley, Presentation and Performance," presented by
professor and musician Michaela Harrison and musician
Dorese Blackmon.
For more information about the seminar, contact the
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at
Meharry at 615-327-6606.
From: Ademide Meji <ademidemeji@ileogbon.com>
