“I want to bring issues to the forefront. Not just issues today, but from the time of enslavement to the present day, and talk about mental and physical health and wellness throughout the years and how we’ve ended up where we are today.”
During her junior year at ɫҹ University, , ’01, had an idea of what path she would pursue after earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology. She wanted to attend graduate school, and she wanted to help people. Coincidentally, ɫҹ’s McNair Scholars program had just begun inducting students into its inaugural class. The program included a research component and prepared students for doctoral degrees. Amanda immediately applied and was accepted.
For the past 25 years, the McNair Scholars program has prepared hundreds of first-generation, low-income undergraduate students from groups underrepresented in graduate schools for doctoral study. The program is a part of the TRIO Program Authority and was established in 1986 in memory of Ronald E. McNair, Ph.D., physicist and astronaut, who died in the space shuttle Challenger Explosion.
“We did so many things that I would have never had the opportunity to do otherwise,” said Amanda. “It was such an honor to gain the exposure, especially the research experience as an undergrad.”
Angela Neal-Barnett, Ph.D., who guided her through applying for graduate school. At the time, the McNair Scholars program was led by Sherrice Freeman and Melody Baker, Ph.D., whom Amanda also spoke highly of.
“I had practice writing the letters needed for an application, creating a professional portfolio, interviewing and conducting research,” said Amanda. “I stepped right out of the McNair Scholars program into a graduate program.”
Amanda was accepted into a joint Master’s and Ph.D. program at the University of Cincinnati that included an APA accredited internship. She earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology in 2003, and her Ph.D. in 2006. Amanda was the first ɫҹ McNair Scholar to earn her Ph.D.
“My experience as a McNair Scholar solidified my path,” said Amanda. “There’s a part of me that believes if I wouldn’t have been a McNair Scholar, who knows where I would have ended up, as far as applying to graduate school and other experiences.”
When she began graduate school, Amanda’s vision was to enhance the mental wellness of vulnerable populations. Today, she is a mental health professional in clinical psychology promoting physical and mental health awareness among Black residents in both rural and urban communities.
“There is a misconception, for some reason, that Black people don’t live out in the country, at least here in Ohio,” Amanda said when speaking about her work in rural communities. “There’s a lot of us.”
She was initially encouraged to follow a traditional path and focus her work on a specific area of behavioral health, but rather than a specific diagnosis, Amanda decided to learn more about the various experiences of people of color, specifically Black people and Black communities.
“I knew that trying to funnel my career towards a specific area was going to limit my ability to fulfill my overarching dream,” said Amanda. “One thing I learned in grad school is that touching one life at a time is great, but I wanted to have an impact on the masses.”
She has become well-versed in the combined health and mental health conditions that can come about with chronic illness, the continuance of stress, trauma and addiction, and charted her path from there.
“When you treat a group of people so horribly, and breed them and force them to live in unhealthy and abusive conditions for generations, we’re going to have health problems – physical and mental – that are a direct result of colonialism and enslavement,” said Amanda, citing Post-traumatic Slave Syndrome as an example. She accredits much of her foundational knowledge in Black history to the courses she took through ɫҹ’s Department of Africana Studies.
As a doctor of clinical psychology, Amanda has worked with individuals from all walks of life in a diverse range of settings, spending her career in the field (i.e., behavioral health centers, therapeutic foster care agencies, schools, hospitals, substance abuse treatment facilities and juvenile detention centers) combatting the social and structural determinants of health.
“I want to bring issues to the forefront,” Amanda said. “Not just issues today, but from the time of enslavement to the present day, and talk about mental and physical health and wellness throughout the years and how we’ve ended up where we are today.”
Her nontraditional approach explores the physical and mental health challenges in society while tapping into the communities that tend to be overlooked – the Black community.
“It’s hard being Black in America. It’s always going to be hard,” said Amanda. “I placed my focus on the social and racial experiences, experiences with poverty, bias and injustice – things that make it challenging for Black Americans navigating through our society.”
Not only is the Black community often overlooked, but specifically, the Black Appalachian community. As a Black Appalachian from rural Cutler, Ohio, Amanda is passionate about assisting those in her hometown community.
“When we talk about Black Appalachians, we’re the forgotten population. We’re considered a racial minority within a cultural minority,” said Amanda. “When people are looking to do any research or anything with Black folks, this is not where they’re looking – they're heading toward the city.”
Amanda believes that when advances are made in research, populations of color are left behind. Black people, specifically, have been left behind in terms of research and putting together interventions tailored to the Black population.
Through a project with the Racial Equity Coalition of Appalachia, Amanda had the opportunity to interview different people about their health experiences. Compared to those in small cities like Athens who have pregnancy resource centers, free public transportation, community health advocates and connections to universities, many Black residents in the more rural areas are unaware of or unable to access health support services.
A large part of Amanda’s work is bringing awareness to the unique challenges Black populations in rural communities face, specifically as it relates to Black history and empowerment, southeast Ohio’s Underground Railroad and prejudice and discrimination in the physical and mental health fields.
“There are people who come into our communities, and not only do they lack knowledge about rural populations, but they also don’t know much about the Black population,” said Amanda. “So you have people working with you who don't look like you or know much about your background and culture.”
Additionally, many Black residents live in rural areas with unsafe water, requiring them to use bottled water for cooking and drinking. Transportation is another challenge, with many residents having to drive 45 minutes for a doctor's appointment and even further to see specialists for severe health concerns.
Though she currently lives in Columbus, Ohio, Amanda travels back home to Cutler and other rural areas often - not just on a clinical level, but also on a community level. She enjoys speaking with and educating residents, who are sometimes only considered after a tragic societal event has occurred.
“Sometimes these things are trendy,” said Amanda. “If the Black population has experienced a tragedy in society, people decide to cater around our community. But when it comes down to long-term and long-lasting effects, where does everybody go? It’s a way for me to give back to my home while also gatekeeping for those who don’t really have a genuine interest in Black Appalachian communities but want to push their own agendas and initiatives.”
Through her work, Amanda strives not only to protect and educate the Black populations in Cutler and other rural areas, but the Black community overall.
“Racism is a public health issue, but a lot of people – including some Black people - don’t understand that,” said Amanda. “That’s where my passion lies – raising awareness and bringing knowledge about topics that are elephants in the closet; topics people don’t want to talk about. But if we’re going to have a healthy community, part of it is acknowledging and understanding our paths.”
To schedule Amanda for a presentation or training, please send her an email or visit her .