Anderson "A.J." Franklin Unity Against Racism Lecture
Joseph P. Gone, faculty director of the Harvard University Native American Program, will keynote the second annual Anderson “A.J.” Franklin Unity Against Racism Lecture on April 23 at 7 p.m. in Gasson 100, sponsored by the Boston College Institute for the Study of Race and Culture.
His talk, “Indigenous Historical Trauma: Alter-Native Explanations for Mental Health Inequities,” will draw on Gone’s nearly 30 years of experience collaborating with American Indian and other Indigenous communities to rethink community-based mental health services, and to harness traditional culture and spirituality for advancing Indigenous well-being.
The ISRC Unity Against Racism Lecture honors Franklin, a renowned scholar, leader in professional psychology, civil rights activist, and community organizer who dedicated his life’s work to the fight against racial oppression. He joined the Lynch School of Education and Human Development in 2007 and served as Honorable David S. Nelson Professor of Psychology and Education and director of the Nelson Chair Roundtable on Networking Community-Based Programs until his retirement in 2020.
The ISRC Unity Against Racism Lecture honors A.J. Franklin, a retired ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝ Lynch School professor and civil rights activist who dedicated his life’s work to the fight against racial oppression.
Each year, the ISRC invites an esteemed scholar and community leader to deliver a lecture on disrupting and dismantling racism within our society, underscoring Franklin’s efforts to build an equitable society, and inspiring younger generations to continue his work.
Gone, an anthropology professor in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences who also serves on the Faculty of Global Health and Social Medicine, has collaborated with tribal communities for more than 25 years to re-envision conventional mental health services for advancing Indigenous well-being. He has published over 85 scientific articles and chapters, and has been awarded fellow status by the Association for Psychological Science and seven divisions of the American Psychological Association. An enrolled member of Montana’s Aaniiih-Gros Ventre tribal nation, he also briefly served as the chief administrative officer for the Fort Belknap Indian reservation.
 A reception will follow the event, which will be livestreamed. The event website includes a link to register.
“Although we know that racism continues to be present in our society, the current legislative backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion that we are witnessing across the country gives the Unity Against Racism series a greater sense of urgency,” said ISRC Director Alex L. Pieterse, an associate professor in the Lynch School. “Through the lecture series, the ISRC is once again thrilled to acknowledge the tremendous contributions of A.J. Franklin in his work towards racial justice, and we are honored to play a small role in the ongoing and needed fight against racism.”
The ISRC offers pragmatic information about teaching, conducting research, and applying interventions intended to promote the benefits of racial and ethnic cultural diversity and resolve related social problems. The institute is distinctive in its emphasis on addressing psychological aspects of race and racism from an interdisciplinary perspective.