Speakers to discuss importance of multiculturalism, identity
Two University of Houston-Victoria student organizations are teaming up to host two therapists who will present on anti-racism, multi-culturalism and the importance of being able to incorporate those values and a person’s racial identity into therapy services.
A’Myer Armstrong, a mental health counselor at West Lake Houston Counseling, and UHV alumna La Shaundrea Harris, a licensed professional counselor and owner of Glory to Glory Counseling, will address UHV students and the community at 6 p.m. on March 27 in the UHV University Commons Multi-Purpose Room, 3006 N. Ben Wilson St. The event is being offered as a partnership between two UHV student organizations: the Association of Psychology and Psychobiology, and the Black Student Union. The presentation is free and open to the public.
“I hope people will come away with an understanding of the importance of expanding their perspectives,” said Alexandra Tucker, a UHV senior and president of the APP. “This event matches our organization’s mission of bringing people from different walks of life together to bond. We are excited to partner with the Black Student Union to make this event possible.”
Kai Samuels, a UHV junior and vice president of the BSU, hopes that attendees, especially students, will take the opportunity to attend the event and learn about their fellow students.
“A lot of students don’t know what Black people experience, so we hope these speakers can share that and the best ways to respond,” she said. “I hope they see Black people in a different light and have a better understanding of what we go through and who we are as people.”
Tucker and other members of the APP organization decided to collaborate with the BSU to demonstrate support for their mission and for all Black students on campus.
“We wanted to make all students feel like they are supported and an important part of UHV,” Tucker said. “College can be a lonely time. There are lots of big, lifelong decisions that students are making. The more guidance and support people have, the more of a bigger and better experience it can be for everyone.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.