Counseling and Educational Psychology Presents:
Cultural Dialogues 2016
Lynette Sparkman-Barnes,
Psy.D.
UMKC Counseling Center
May 6, 2016,
4:30pm-6:00pm
Topic: Intersectionality of
race/ethnicity, sexual orientation,
Lisa Flores, Ph.D.
University of Missouri- Columbus
June 24, 2016,
10:00am-12:00pm
Topic: An inside look of Mizzou’s Crucible
of Race
Carolyn M. Tucker, Ph.D.
University of Florida
June 17, 2016,
4:30pm-6:00pm
Topic: Health disparities & Interprofessional Care
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Dr. Z. Hall, PhD.
December 2, 2016
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Salon 360
As disturbing as 21st century police-involved killings of unarmed black persons in America are, the fact is
extrajudicial murder of blacks in the U.S. is not new. This practice has its roots in slavery,
reconstruction, and the Jim Crow era of not long ago. And even though segregationist laws were
determined to be unconstitutional by the courts, the effects of Jim Crow extended far beyond that era.
In March of 1981, Michael Donald, a young black American man, was murdered in Mobile, Alabama, by
two Ku Klux Klan members. His murder has been referred to as the last recorded lynching in the United
States. Scholars have drawn connections between lynching and police killings of blacks in America.
Nancy Krieger, professor of social epidemiology and the lead author of the study, “Police Killings and
Police Deaths are Public Health Data and can be Counted” said, “counting these deaths can and should
be done because the data constitutes crucial public health information that could help prevent future
deaths.” The authors go on to say, “it is time to bring a public health perspective to this longstanding
and terrible problem, from a standpoint that emphasizes prevention and health equity, as opposed to
treating these data as if they solely belong to the police and are a matter of criminal justice only …
These data involve mortality and affect the well-being of the families and communities of those who
were killed.” ( Salon~360 fosters community, growth, and understanding among participants of
disparate backgrounds, cultures, and ways of being and thinking. It is a much-needed space for working
out ideas in the public sphere. This safe-space allows for open and honest conversation in respectful
ways that permits each person who wishes room to speak their truth.