In this Inside the Honors Studio series, students used Yaa Gyasi’s book, Transcendent Kingdom, and Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem, We Wear the Mask, as centerpieces for investigating how mental health issues experienced by Black individuals may present differently in diverse cultures, particularly when the legacies of colonialism, slavery, and systemic racism are considered.

 

This exploration enabled students to bring together findings from the psychological sciences with artistic works to better understand mental health issues from diverse cultural perspectives. The overarching goal of the Studio was to enable students to use this culturally-based knowledge to become more effective advocates for those affected by mental illness and social injustice.