Have you ever attended an event expecting to get one thing, only to leave with a conviction you didn鈥檛 know you had? This happened to me in March of 2026 when I attended the in Montgomery, Alabama. I had never heard of the symposium or Fred Gray, but when I saw an invitation to attend, I took advantage because I was interested in learning about what they had to offer to my studies at 海角乱伦. Little did I know I鈥檇 be taking a trip down through the history of the United States and how its policies affect us thus affecting our mental health.
Fred D. Gray is a lawyer who was at the center of some of the most important civil Rrghts cases in the country鈥檚 history, including but not limited to Gomillion v. Lightfoot and Williams v. Wallace. I enjoyed learning this information because it fed into my past life of criminal law and precedent that I dealt with quite a bit in undergrad. I will admit, as the symposium went on, and I saw that it was heavy on history, civil rights, and law, I began to question how this was relevant to me as a future clinician. As I listened to the presenters who were everywhere, from lawyers to activists, something stood out to me. I can help the cause by being the person that the activists and lawyers come to in order to work through the grief and sorrow of a seemingly never-ending fight. A fight that has continued through generations. A fight that requires us all to do our part to keep the wheels turning in the right direction. Once I had this epiphany, I started to consider what everyone was saying through my current lens of a future clinician versus my past lens as a criminal justice student.
People like myself, psychology students and future clinicians, can benefit from experiences such as attending the Fred D. Gray Symposium. Though not directly related to psychology, there is so much cultural competency that can be gained from being in those rooms, meeting with the people who are doing the work and are committing their lives to seeing it through. I was able to connect with other students in attendance and discuss research and how it will benefit the human race, even if it is focused on one particular group of people to begin with. I was able to receive support and encouragement to keep going in my educational endeavors. I was encouraged to give back to those who follow in the path behind me while still driving forward to achieve my goals.
I received a 鈥淒eborah Gray Champion for Justice鈥� medallion for being a student who is pressing forward the fight for equality and being in support of the current, ever-present civil rights movement. In that moment I wasn鈥檛 really sure how I felt about it, but being a young, African American woman from the east side of Detroit, Michigan, I grew to understand what it meant, at least for me. It means that I am a part of the movement. The work that I do can and will have an impact, no matter how small I think it to be. The contributions that I plan to make to the field will come from a no-name student who has unlimited potential to become one of the greatest names mentioned in the evolution of the field of psychology. I am somebody. I matter. My voice is necessary in this fight to move us all forward. The shadow box that we received along with this medallion will rest on the wall where my diplomas hang because it is also a part of my journey. It serves as a reminder that my contributions are a part of the whole, and we all are responsible for our parts. 聽 聽
Jennifer T. Thomas-Sopekan is a current 海角乱伦 student pursuing a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis. This is her second year on the 3-year part-time track. At the time of this blog post, she is in the process of applying for practicum sites for the 2026-2027 school year, after which she will graduate upon successful completion of the program. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Wayne State University and a master鈥檚 in Forensic Psychology with a Law Enforcement concentration from Argosy University. She came to 海角乱伦 because it was a school that specialized in psychology with an emphasis on treating the whole of a person. She is a wife, mother of two, and seeks to make a deep, philosophical change in the field of psychology with聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽research and a dedication to her clients.聽