Black History Month Keynote by Dr. Joy DeGruy-Leary

St. Louis, MO . . . The St. Louis Public Library is proud to present Dr. Joy DeGruy-Leary as she delivers the keynote address for the Library’s celebration of Black History Month 2007. The event takes place at Central Library, 1301 Olive Street, on Sunday, February 11, at 2 p.m. The program is FREE and open to the public with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. A “Meet & Greet” follows the event. Friends of the St. Louis Public Library should call 539-0359 to reserve a seat.

Dr. DeGruy-Leary will discuss her highly praised workshop, “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome.” A dynamic and inspirational speaker on culture, race relations, and issues of social justice, she will present facts, statistics, and documents that illustrate how varying levels of both clinically induced and socially learned residual stress-related issues were passed along through generations as a result of slavery.

Among the other workshops she conducts are “Culture Specific Models of Service Delivery and Practice” and “African American Male Adolescent Violence.” Dr. DeGruy-Leary’s seminars and workshops are considered “a time for healing” and are reflective of her commitment to the healing and well-being of all people. In 2002, she gave the keynote address at the United Nations Conference for Africans and Their Descendents.

Dr. DeGruy-Leary holds master’s degrees in both social work and psychology as well as a Ph.D. in social work research. She is an assistant professor at Portland State University. Her 18 years of practical experience offers insight into a variety of cultural and ethnic groups that form the basis of contemporary American society. Her workshops go far beyond cultural sensitivity; she provides specialized clinical work in areas of mental health and ecological resilience.

Support for this year’s Black History Month programming is provided by CW-11 KPLR-TV.

For details on Dr. DeGruy-Leary’s presentation or for more information about the Library’s celebration of Black History Month 2007, call 314-539-0315.

1/31/2007