FOCUS
Keona envisions a world where everyone has all of the internal and external tools they need to thrive. In public health and society, there is a narrow focus on the individual and how to cultivate health-seeking behaviors within one person. She believes that the values and desires to thrive and remain healthy are embedded within our communities. Keona’s work focuses on uplifting culturally embedded factors, such as music, dance, and fellowship within the Black community to enable individual and community health. By centering these factors and the spoken and unspoken truths of an embodied Black experience as vital to holistic health, Keona hopes that it will enable individuals and communities to locate the internal and external resources necessary to thrive.
MORE ABOUT KEONA
Keona is from the rural town of Huntsville, Texas. She grew up on a farm with a strong sense of togetherness before attending Howard University where her amazement with the intricacy of Black communities and resilience was reaffirmed. Keona hopes to create meaningful work that impacts the daily lives and well-being of groups being oppressed.
DISSERTATION GRANT AWARDEE — FALL 2022
Probing Psychotraumatology Frameworks and Models: An Investigation into the Explanatory Power of Psychotraumatology for Health Equity
The goal of this dissertation is to probe various frameworks and models of psychotraumatology to advance knowledge on trauma sources and pathways in Black American communities. This will be accomplished through examining social media discourse, national survey data, and peer-reviewed literature.
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