Black resistance is powered by the strength and resilience of the Black community. Our community has increasingly recognized that maintaining the strength to keep moving forward means making time to take care of ourselves and each other.

Watch the panel on Health and Wellness on Thursday, Feb 16, 12:00PM-1:30PM

This panel features local leaders in varying aspects of personal health to learn more about how we can power the movement for social change by empowering our own individual and collective well-being.

Meet the Panelists:

	Dr. Bryana French, PhD, LP is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology within the Morrison Family College of Health at the University of St. Thomas. She graduated from the University of Illinois’ Counseling Psychology PhD program and completed an American Psychological Association (APA) Accredited pre-doctoral internship at the University of Maryland Counseling and Psychological Services Center. From there, she worked as an APA MFP Policy Fellow for SAMHSA and began her teaching career at the University of Missouri before moving back to her hometown, Minneapolis. Her research, teaching, and community engagement focuses on racial and sexual trauma and recovery, specifically among Black, Indigenous and People of Color. Her recent first authored article from the Psychology of Radical Healing Collective, “Toward a psychological framework for radical healing in Communities of Color” published in The Counseling Psychologist (2020) is ranked in the top 5% on Altmetrics publication data with over 30,000 views and downloads in the first two years. Her research on men’s sexual victimization has been featured in several news outlets including Time, US News, and Huffington Post. Her training interests focus on multicultural counseling development and social justice pedagogy and she provides intersectional consultation for universities, nonprofit organizations, and corporations across the country. She also has a private practice, offering psychotherapy for adults. Dr. French has held multiple leadership roles in APA the including currently serving on the APA Council of Representative Leadership Team. Her work has been recognized with awards throughout her career, including the APA Minority Fellowship Program, APA Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology, APA Divisions 17, 35, and 45, the Minnesota Psychological Association, and the Minnesota chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists
	Eva Nyrie Garrett was born and raised in North Minneapolis, MN. After graduating from Patrick Henry High school, she took a position with AT&T, where she has worked for the past 20 years, evolving over time from training to hiring to technical support. In 2012, she began working for the nonprofit food justice organization, Appetite for Change, where she assisted in cultivating and managing the northside community gardens, Farmers Market and Community Cooks programs. Working with Appetite for Change helped to deepen Eva’s love for gardening as she became known in her community as Farmer Garrett, providing produce through CSA’s from her own backyard. In becoming an avid gardener, she also grew a deep connection with herbs and in 2020 obtained her Master Herbalist certification and launched her herbal business, Natural Me where she creates healing products that cleanse, nurture and treat ailments. 2020 Eva joined forces with Chef Lachelle Cunningham to create Natural Roots Wellness and the Elixir Kitchen, where they invite the community to explore the world of plant remedies and nutritional healing with them. September 2022 Eva opened the first black woman Apothecary in North Minneapolis and in October of 2022 Eva obtained her Naturopath Certification which she will use to support the health and wellness of her community for years to come.
	William Moore is a Health Educator with Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, who was recently named as one of the 40 Under 40 in Public Health by the de Beaumont Foundation. Moore is one of the first men in Minnesota to be certified as a birth attendant and breastfeeding educator and was selected for the national recognition for his work to reduce racial and health disparities through the Doula Dads initiative and the Club Dad program. Doula Dads is an offshoot of Public Health’s work through the Ramsey County Birth Equity Community Council to reduce infant mortality rates in the African American community.
	Nandi Tippett is a graduate of Georgia State University, with a background in Neuroscience, Spanish, contemporary arts, dance, and mental health advocacy efforts. Additionally, Nandi continues to work extensively as a Community Health Equity Professional. Nandi is masterful and adroit in various styles of movement arts and wellness practices. Nandi is passionate about exploring art, culture, and cuisine in her free time as integrative, alternative avenues for improving mental health and wellness.
	Courtney Thomas is a small business owner, public speaker, master barber, fitness and lifestyle coach, and personal trainer from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. Courtney is the founder of Anchored Well-Fit LLC and Anchored Barber Stylists which she established to help others find peace and healing through biblical principles that focus on the mind, body, and spirit. Courtney is also the author of, A Principled Journey, a book she wrote to help people discover the principles she used to create a life of balance and freedom. Her book is set to release February 2023.