Joy as Resistance: Navigating Invalidating Systems with Clarity and Confidence

When

Friday June 19, 2026: 6:00pm to 7:30pm  Add to Calendar /   Add to Google Calendar

Where

Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room

Description

Join Dr. Charmeka Newton and Barika L. Pace for an event designed especially for individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds who are navigating complex and, at times, invalidating systems. During the event, we will explore practical strategies for strengthening self-trust, honoring lived experiences, and engaging systems with clarity, confidence, and cultural grounding. We will also discuss the intentional cultivation of joy as a critical protective practice in the face of systemic invalidation, positioning joy as the guiding overlay for how we sustain ourselves. This event will have opportunities to learn and practice joy and self-protection strategies.

Dr. Charmeka Newton is a sought-after psychology expert and professor featured in major media outlets and received the 2022 Distinguished Psychologist Award from the Michigan Psychological Association for her work on race-based issues. She is president-elect of The Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race, a Division of the American Psychological Association (APA). Dr. Newton is also co-author of the book Black Lives Are Beautiful: 50 Tools to Heal from Trauma and Promote Positive Racial Identity–a workbook explicitly designed to help members of the Black community counter the impacts of racialized trauma while also cultivating self-esteem, building resilience, fostering community, and promoting Black empowerment.

Barika L. Pace is an executive research director, author, and interdisciplinary advisor whose work examines fatigue, power, and psychological sustainability in high-performance environments. She is the author of The F Word is Fatigue: Black Women, Corporate Climb, and the Cost of Excellence.

The Library intends to provide a live stream of this event pending the presenter's permission. Please check back closer to the event for additional updates.