The Vital Importance of Black Non-Profit Leaders

February 29, 2024
Hosted by Ingrid Cockhren

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Guest Information

Episode Description

As we close out Black History Month, we must reflect on the vital role of Black non-profit leaders. Often lacking in funding and support, Black non-profit leaders are driving the work to liberate Black communities and bring in an age of equity and reconciliation. This week, we welcome Travis Claybrooks, founder and CEO of the Raphah Institute. Raphah Institute envisions a cradle-to-homeownership pipeline that has replaced the cradle-to-prison pipeline. Through partnerships and programming, Raphah helps marginalized community members access the housing, healthcare, social support, education, and economic resources they need to heal and thrive. Travis completed his Master of Divinity at Liberty University and is a doctoral candidate in Strategic Leadership there. He has worked as a police officer in Nashville, TN, served in the US Army, and ministered as a Seventh-day Adventist pastor. Travis is an active community volunteer. He holds membership on the First Horizon Bank Community Advisory Board, the Partners in Care Stakeholder Committee, the Nashville Group Violence Intervention Advisory Board, the Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment Steering Committee, Adverse Childhood Experiences Nashville Leadership Committee, the Nashville Child and Youth Collaborative, and the Nashville Health Equity Coalition. He is a restorative justice practitioner and trainer. Travis previously served as a Restorative Justice Working Group member at the United States Department of Justice. He is launching an expansion of Raphah Institute’s Restorative Justice Diversion Initiative in partnership with the Memphis/Shelby County DA, Juvenile Court, Public Defender, and community organizations. Raphah is also piloting a community investment project in early childhood education in HUD housing communities in Nashville. Travis enjoys playing video games and weekend outings with his family. He is a North Nashville native residing in White House, TN.

History. Culture. Trauma

Thursday at 1PM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Health and Wellness Channel

According to Resmaa Menakem, trauma decontextualized over time looks like culture. We, at PACEs Connection, agree. 2020, with COVID-19, our climate crisis, and the racial reckoning, has shown us that trauma is embedded within our institutions, our culture, and our history. 2020 was a collective trauma. And, with the addition of technological advances like the internet and social media, we are more connected to our collective selves than ever before. We can no longer live in silos, focused on the individual. We know now that our shared experiences matter. Our podcast will examine trauma and resilience, not just at the individual level, at the systems and cultural level. How has the trauma of slavery and genocide impacted our current society? Why are the cultural manifestations of trauma, i.e., community violence, school shootings, etc., so pervasive? Together, our hosts and their guests will outline the true impact of trauma and resilience on the human experience.

Ingrid Cockhren

Ingrid Cockhren knows first-hand how impactful trauma and toxic stress can be for children and families and has dedicated her professional life to investigating and educating the public about the link between early trauma, early adversity, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), positive childhood experiences and the consequences that occur across the lifespan. Specializing in creating equitable and inclusive environments within organizations, collective impacts and grassroot movements, Cockhren uses her knowledge of stress, trauma, historical trauma, human development, and psychology to translate research concerning DEI into community, workplace, and organizational solutions. Cockhren graduated from Tennessee State University with a B.S. in psychology and from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College with a M.Ed. in child studies specializing in minority and impoverished children. Her research areas are African American parenting styles, positive and adverse childhood experiences, historical trauma, intergenerational trauma, brain development, developmental psychology, and epigenetics. Cockhren’s experience includes juvenile justice, family counseling, early childhood education, professional development, consulting, and community education. She is currently CEO at PACEs Connection and an adjunct professor specializing in Black psychology, developmental psychology, abnormal psychology, and personality theory at Tennessee State University.



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