The Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Pi Mu chapter will host “Black Minds Matter” at the Life Sciences Building (Room G11) Tuesday (Feb. 25) at 6 p.m.
Often in the Black community, people refuse to talk about the issues they are facing. They are taught to mask their emotions, “take their problems on the chin,” not seek professional counseling, etc. The therapy taboo plagues the Black community.
Alpha Phi Alpha is helping to combat this taboo by introducing Black Minds Matter to West Virginia University, led by Mental Health Specialist Anthony Ferguson, Jr. This seminar will address specific mental ailments and other challenges students from the black community face on a daily basis. In addition, it will unravel issues and provide solutions for students facing these daily challenges. They encourage students, faculty and administrators of all backgrounds to attend; as this will be a space for learning, community-building, and understanding.
Anthony Ferguson, Jr. is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. Raised primarily by his mother, Rose, and grandmother, Ruth, Anthony was taught a very young age about the power of education. Anthony went on to graduate from the Gilman School in Baltimore Maryland, one of the top college preparatory schools in the county. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a B.A. in African American Studies, as well as a Certificate in Critical Cultural Competency. He went on to receive a M.S in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Drake University, where he is currently a Doctoral Candidate in the Educational Leadership Program. His dissertation, A Panoramic View of the Lived Experience of Black University Faculty, focuses on the unique experience of Black Professors at Predominantly White Institutions.
Anthony is a past National Board for Certified Counselors Minority Fellow, a past recipient of the Iowa Mental Health Counseling Association Academic Scholarship, and was recognized by the Honorable State Representative Ako Abdul-Samad for his commitment and advocacy around mental health education within the African American community. Anthony previously worked as an Outpatient mental health/substance counselor at House of Mercy and a mental health counselor at Drake University.
He currently serves as the Victim Rights Coordinator in the Office of the Attorney General’s – Crime Victim Assistance Division. Anthony provides training around mental health, substance use disorder, and victim’s rights, as well as utilizes a variety of methods to effectively teach and and inform his audiences. In his free time, Anthony volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Investing In My Future, and is a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Anthony has served two terms on the Iowa Mental Health Counseling Association Board since 2016, and is currently serving on the Iowa Chapter of Children Advocacy Centers Board of Directors.