Broken Crowns

Jacqui has an M.S. in Clinical and Counseling Psychology with concentrations in Trauma as well as Diverse and Underserved Communities. She co-facilitates empowerment workshops for incarcerated women that support their emotional needs while in custody with special attention to the role trauma plays in the lives of women and girls in the criminal justice system. In response to the lack of trauma-informed care within the penal system, Jacqui founded the nonprofit Sankofa Healing Studio which is built on the six core principles of trauma-informed care: 1) trauma- understanding, 2) safety & security, 3) cultural humility & responsiveness, 4) compassion & dependability, 5) collaboration & empowerment, and 6) resilience & recovery.Fueled by her passion and dedication as a change agent, Jacqui uses community activism and artivism to disrupt the cycles of social injustices and challenge individuals and organizations to become love-centered and anti-oppressive. She provides training workshops on the importance of gender-responsiveness and trauma-specific care within the legal system. She facilitates trauma/resiliency workshops in the community that addresses racial, inter-generational, and community trauma. She believes that to eradicate the myths and remove the stigma related to mental health in the black community, we must first name it and then replace it with culturally relevant services. She addresses head-on the complex intersectionality of adverse childhood experiences, race, and the criminal justice system.Her strength is her creativity and ability to look at things through an empathic lens. She doesn’t allow herself or those that she works with to be limited by societal boxes; instead, she meets people where they dream. She is committed to the betterment of the community, as well as the advancement of trauma-related healing and research. "Holding space is the most powerful and loving thing that we can do for another person. Each of us is the expert in our own lives. We need to besupportednot saved. We need to beheardnot told. We need to feelloved. Embrace me as I am."Until the Story of the hunt is told by the Lion, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.~ African Proverb

Jacqui Johnson

We will discuss the pathways of black women and girls into the criminal justice system and how we can change it.

The Discovery Center

Black women are more prone to being jailed than white women, and that tendency starts in school. There in racial disparities in the nation’s education system that our society choose not to see, hear, or talk about. According to several studies, black girls are 6 times as likely to be suspended as Whites. They are even suspended and expelled at higher rates than black boys. So there's no surprise that black women are over-represented in prisons, but did you know the rate is more than double the rate for white women. Black women are more likely to go to prison than women of any other racial or ethnic group. In fact, 1 in 16 African-American women — in contrast to 1 in 111 white women. This is a health crisis!A prison sentence is a family sentence, with black families disproportionately facing a host of obstacles in terms of barriers to income potential and wealth, education, housing and family stability. Further, 1 in 13 Black people in America cannot vote due to felony disenfranchisement laws, taking away their voice.Here's a few more reason why we should be outraged as a community: incarcerated women are more likely to be victims of domestic violence (71 percent of women behind bars, according to a 2008 study); suffer from mental health challenges (73 percent in state prison and 75 percent in local jails); and have a history of substance abuse (73 percent in state prison and 47 percent in federal prison). Why is our country criminalizing trauma and mental illness?!Does this information make you angry? It should. This week, let's talk about trauma in our community, what it looks like in our women and girls, and how we can create community healing spaces to address this issue.

Join us each week for a​n interactive discussion about Mental Health ​and Wellness within the Black community.Every week we will explore a different topic that addresses: the ​mental and physical impact of trauma, transforming the stigma around mental health, available support resources, and how we can heal from personal, racial and community traumas.

If there is a specific topic related to Black Mental Health and Wellness that you would like to hear discussed, send us your idea. If you have an area of expertise that you would like to share with the community, contact us. If you have a related organization or service that you provide, let's talk. We’d love to hear from you!**Be advised that subject matter may not be appropriate for young children. Light refreshment will be served. There is free parking at the site.**

Broken Crowns

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Broken Crowns

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