Yara Mekawi, PhD

University of Louisville; Co-Founder, The DEAR Project

Yara Mekawi, PhD, is a clinical-community psychologist, assistant professor at the University of Louisville, and a co-founder of the  DEAR Project. She is the Director of the Challenging Ongoing Legacies of Racism lab where she works alongside students to investigate two central questions. First, how does race-related stress harm racially marginalized individuals, and how can we mitigate these effects? Secondly, how and why do White individuals engage in racist vs. anti-racist behavior, and what strategies promote sustained anti-racism? Dr. Mekawi is also committed to advancing structural change in psychology, focusing on systematic assessment, cultural transformation, and interventions that foster belonging for marginalized students and faculty.  

Why Awareness Isn't Enough: Using Therapy Principles to Mobilize Anti-Racist Action 

Friday, August 8, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Colorado Convention Center, Four Seasons Ballroom 2-4

The connection between individual-level anti-racist action and systemic level change will be discussed, as well as how to leverage therapy principles to move beyond barriers to action and ensure that White allies' anti-racism commitments lead to real, lasting change.