Join us for the African American Alumni Committee 2026 Symposium, We Got Us: Our Health, Our Rights, Our Future, for a day of learning, reflection, and connection focused on the forces shaping health and well-being in historically marginalized and under-resourced communities.
You'll hear from an inspiring keynote speaker and engage in interactive breakout sessions alongside fellow alumni, students, faculty, and community leaders. Together, we'll highlight community-rooted innovations, collective resilience, and pathways toward more just and responsive systems.
Panel Discussion Description:
- Featuring dynamic speakers across various disciplines, the panel discussion will examine the social determinants of health — how social, economic, and structural forces shape health outcomes today, and in the years ahead, most critically for those closest to the margins. Panelists drawing on expertise in African studies, psychology, social work, and research, will explore the role of social justice in health, highlighting emerging challenges and innovations, and consider strategies to advance equity and improve outcomes for historically marginalized communities.
Breakout Session Descriptions
Health: Black Maternal Health & Access to Quality Healthcare
- This breakout session explores the systemic barriers impacting Black maternal health and highlights the urgent need for culturally responsive and equitable care. Participants will discuss strategies to improve access, quality, and outcomes—ensuring that every Black mother receives the respectful, informed, and compassionate care she deserves.
Mental Health, Trauma, and Healing
- This breakout session will explore innovative, community-driven approaches to expanding access through creative programming, sliding-scale models, partnerships, and free-service initiatives that help ensure mental health care is within reach for all. As health policy changes continue to impact coverage, many individuals face uncertainty about how to find and afford the support they need.
Social Justice: Policy & Politics as a Determinant of Health
- This session will explore how current health care policies shape and contribute to the health and well-being of Black communities. Panelists will examine these implications at the intersection of clinical practice, policy design, and political decision-making, citing real-world implications, ongoing inequities, and opportunities for intervention that can reshape and advance health care equity.
Community Empowerment: Human-Centered Approaches in Healthcare
- This session explores how agencies are reimagining care by centering their clients' needs, voices, and lived experiences. Participants will discuss strategies for designing programs and services that integrate multidisciplinary care, promote equity, and build sustainable support for individuals and communities alike.
Keynote Speaker
Olusimbo (Simbo) Ige, MD, MPH, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Public Health
Dr. Olusimbo (Simbo) Ige is the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. With nearly two decades of experience
in public health, she has led initiatives at the local and national levels focused on health equity, systems change, and community well-being. Prior to her role in Chicago, Dr. Ige served as Managing Director of Programs at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and
as Assistant Commissioner for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where she oversaw pandemic response, mental
health, food security, and public health workforce programs.
Dr. Ige holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and a Master’s in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the University of Ibadan in
Nigeria, as well as a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Manchester in the UK.
Facilitator: Health Breakout Session
Star August Ali, CPM, LM
Founder, Black Midwifery Collective
Star August Ali, CPM, LM, is a certified professional midwife and licensed midwife in Illinois. She provides culturally congruent, relationship-centered care grounded in autonomy, safety, and respect. A descendant of a grand midwife, she brings generational knowledge to her practice, supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with a trauma-informed approach.
As founder of the Black Midwifery Collective, she advocates for expanded access to out-of-hospital birth options for Black families in Illinois. Prior to licensure, she practiced under restrictive laws to ensure access to community-based care. She is one of four Black CPMs currently licensed in the state.
Facilitator: Mental Health Breakout Session
Songiné Clarke
Community Care Program Manager, Sista Afya
Songiné Clarke is the community care program manager at Sista Afya. She is a writer, screen printer, and community organizer whose work centers on art, restorative justice, and collective healing.
She is co-founder of the Black Women Revolutionaries Study Group, a space dedicated to exploring the legacies of Black women leaders while fostering dialogue and community engagement. A certified peace circle keeper and former after-school art educator, Clarke integrates creative practice and restorative approaches into community-based programming.
Facilitator: Health Breakout Session
Taneka (T.S.) Douglas
Assistant Professor of Biology, Kennedy-King College
Taneka (T.S.) Douglas is an assistant professor of biology at Kennedy-King College, part of the City Colleges of Chicago. A committed educator and STEM advocate, she contributes to institutional self-study efforts, academic program development, and conference presentations focused on high-impact teaching and technology in the sciences.
Professor Douglas serves on Higher Learning Commission subcommittees and supports initiatives that expand access and excellence in STEM education for underrepresented students.
Facilitator: Mental Health Breakout Session
Janelle Goodwill, PhD
Neubauer Family Assistant Professor, The University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice
Janelle Goodwill, PhD, is a Neubauer Family Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. Her research examines the mental health experiences of Black Americans, with a focus on suicide prevention and mental health promotion. She investigates how strengths such as hope, social support, and meaning in life buffer against adverse outcomes and promote well-being.
Professor Goodwill is the founder and director of the PURPOSE Lab (Positive Urban Research and Prevention of Suicide Experiences), which develops accessible mental health resources for communities on Chicago’s South Side. She currently leads a school-based suicide prevention intervention for Black students funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.
Facilitator: Community Empowerment Breakout Session
Jasmine Herrion, PhD
Community Workshop Facilitator, Black Researchers Collective
Jasmine Herrion, PhD, is a community psychologist born and raised in Chicago. She has nearly a decade of experience in education and community organizing.
In 2021, after surviving gun violence, she founded The Trauma Zone, a consulting agency providing trauma-informed resources and training across the Chicagoland area. She now works as a researcher focused on advancing community-accessible data and equity. Her work centers the use of data as a tool for social justice and community empowerment.
Facilitator: Community Empowerment Breakout Session
Ayesha Jaco
Executive Director, West Side United
Ayesha Jaco is executive director of West Side United (WSU), a collaborative of health systems, nonprofits, and community stakeholders working to close the 20-year life expectancy gap between Chicago’s West Side and the Loop. A lifelong resident of the West Side, she leads initiatives that address social determinants of health through investment, business development, and community-led wellness strategies.
Under her leadership, WSU has awarded $2.5 million in small business grants and facilitated $10 million in pooled capital to support affordable housing and economic development. She is a founding partner of Sankofa Wellness Village and serves on boards including Choose Chicago and the Chicago Chronic Condition Equity Network.
Facilitator: Mental Health Breakout Session
Camesha L. Jones-Brandon, LCSW
Founder and Executive Director, Sista Afya
Camesha L. Jones-Brandon, LCSW, is the founder and executive director of Sista Afya Community Care NFP, a nonprofit providing affordable, community-based mental health care for women facing barriers to care in Chicago.
With more than 10 years of clinical experience, she works at the intersection of culture, community, and social justice to expand access to mental wellness services for Black women and girls. Prior to launching the nonprofit, she founded Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness, a social enterprise centered on culturally responsive care.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Spelman College and a Master of Social Work from the University of Chicago.
Facilitiator: Social Justice Breakout Session
Lionel Kimble, PhD
Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies, Chicago State University
Lionel Kimble, PhD, is associate professor of history and Africana studies at Chicago State University and vice president and executive director of the Research and Policy Center at the Chicago Urban League. His scholarship focuses on civil rights, labor history, and public policy in Black Chicago.
He is the author of A New Deal for Bronzeville: Housing, Employment, and Civil Rights in Black Chicago, 1935–1955, and has published extensively on Black veterans and war workers. He holds a PhD in history from the University of Iowa.
Facilitiator: Social Justice Breakout Session
Elizabeth Tung, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, The University of Chicago
Elizabeth Tung, MD, is a social epidemiologist and practicing internist in the Section of General Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago. Her research examines how social conditions, including community violence, trauma, and poverty, affect health outcomes, with a focus on racial and geographic disparities.
She leads two NIH-funded projects: Recovery Legal Care, a medical-legal partnership supporting patients recovering from violence, and CHAMP-LAW, which advances youth and family stability through school-based community health workers. Her work addresses structural drivers of chronic disease and advances health equity in under-resourced communities.
This is event is open to all backgrounds and attendance is open to all.
If you have any questions about access or to request a reasonable accommodation that will facilitate your full participation in this event such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, food options for individuals with dietary restrictions, etc. please contact the event organizer.