January 2022 in the CMGMH
Happy New Year CMGMH Friends & Colleagues!  

I hope your 2022 and Spring Semester are off to a healthy, balanced, and positive start. How this year has unfolded thus far has perhaps included feelings of meaning and motivation, but also disappointment and fear as the pandemic has not resolved the way we have been hoping.

In the face of stress and adversity, what many find inspiring about the turn of the year is the opportunity to reflect on what you need for yourself, to release self criticism, and to welcome self awareness. January is often perceived as the opportunity to take on a "new year, new you" view of yourself. That is wonderful for those looking for self-improvement in the form of change. If "new year, new you" isn't quite what you're looking for, do not fear! Radical self-acceptance is an idea that individuals have been turning to for comfort. Radical self-acceptance is the notion that we can show up as ourselves and compassionately accept our realities. So whether you are looking for change or steadiness, or a little bit of both, to bring you optimism and pride this year, I hope you are feeling fulfilled and inspired.

This January update will provide you with resources, thoughts, and upcoming events to explore as we begin 2022.

All the Best,

Anna Ustun
Program Coordinator, Center for Workforce Development
AmeriCorps VISTA Member
Martin Luther King Day - January 17th, 2022
The 15 Year Battle for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law, designating the third Monday in January a federal holiday in observance of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The legislation to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first introduced just four days after his assassination on April 4, 1968.

Still, it would take 15 years of persistence by civil rights activists for the holiday to be approved by the federal government and an additional 17 years for it to be recognized in all 50 states. Today, it is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer and improve their communities.

History Alive! Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: The Last Five Years
Honor the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with living history interpreter John W. McCaskill as he chronicles the last five years of King’s life and shares other stories of the individuals who fought to end racial segregation and discrimination in the United States.

  • When: Monday, Jan. 24th, 2022 1-2pm
  • Where: Online
  • FREE, NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED


Teaching Hard History - Ep. 7, Season 3:

Teaching the Movement’s Most Iconic Figure – w/ Charles McKinney
From host Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Teaching Hard History brings us the lessons we should have learned in school through the voices of leading scholars and educators.

You cannot teach the civil rights movement without talking about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But it’s critical that students deconstruct the mythology surrounding the movement’s most iconic figure to learn about the man, not just the hero. The real Dr. King held beliefs that evolved over time. A complex man, he was part of a much larger movement—one that shaped him as much as he shaped it.


Learning for Justice: Tunes for Teaching Hard History
Welcome 2022
A few resources to continue this year on a positive note:
In this moving talk, join Shonda Rhimes, the titan behind Grey's Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder, on a journey through her "year of yes" and find out how she got her "hum" back.
In an uproarious stand-up set, comedian Pardis Parker rails against a central tenet of modern culture: the “grind.”
The Power of Gratitude:
Upcoming Events
Liberation Health Framework
Become an Agent of Social Change
Tuesday, January 25th @ 6pm


With Dr. Dawn Belkin Martinez
Clinical Associate Professor
Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion
Boston University School of Social Work


Meeting ID: 846 2925 4622
A Multicultural Orientation Framework Approach to Addressing Racial Disparities in Behavioral Health Care
Friday, January 28th @ 9am-10am PST (12pm-1pm EST)


With Karen Tao, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Educational Psychology, University of Utah


Black History Futures Month Celebration
Friday, February 18th @ 8:30am-1:30pm PST (11:30am-4:30pm EST)


With Crystal Bennett, LMSW
THRYVE, LLC.


Center for Multicultural and Global Mental Health
1 Wells Avenue
Newton, MA 02459
617-327-6777