Shawna Murray-Browne—a licensed clinical social worker and an award-winning community healer, national speaker, and liberation-focused mind-body medicine practitioner—will give Bryn Mawr College's annual Black History Month keynote address at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 24. The talk is titled "First, Reclaim Yourself: Lessons in Wellness from the Black Radical Tradition," and will take place in the Great Hall of Old Library.
“There is no better time to reflect on how descendants of Africans enslaved in the U.S. continue to triumph and imagine a new world, all while holding on to their healing traditions," says Murray-Browne. "I cannot wait to connect with the Bryn Mawr campus community.”
Murray-Browne is the principal consultant at Kindred Wellness LLC. Trained as an integrative psychotherapist, Murray-Browne has created life-changing, community-based sacred spaces, honoring culture, to equip Black women, youth, and activists with the tools to heal themselves.
A fierce advocate for racial equity in mental health care, Murray-Browne guides professionals and organizations in nourishing a culture of mindfulness, anti-racism, and impact. Intuitive, authentic, and high energy, she is committed to helping communities reclaim collective wisdom to triumph over the effects of historic and present day trauma. Murray-Browne was named by The Huffington Post as one of the “Ten Black Female Therapists You Should Know,” on PBS’s Mysteries of Mental Illness, and was a two-time guest on the popular Therapy for Black Girls podcast.
Murray-Browne is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in social work at the University of Maryland-Baltimore where she earned her master's in social work. She gained her bachelor of science in criminology and family science from the University of Maryland-College Park. Dedicated to continued growth, she continues her practice in QiGong, African spiritual traditions, and sitting at the feet of her elders. She lives in Baltimore with her husband and her 4-year-old daughter.
“During Black History Month, let us reflect on our own biases, stereotypes, gaps in knowledge, and relationships across racial difference so that we can be leaders in creating spaces in which equity, inclusion, and social justice are at the forefront," says Tracey Cadet '22, co-president of the student group Sisterhood*.
For the very latest updates on Black History Month programming, follow The Enid Cook '31 Center (ECC) on Instagram.
The student group Sisterhood* works with the ECC in taking the lead on much of Bryn Mawr's Black History Month programming. Many departments and offices contribute to and support the month's programming including Alumnae/i Relations and Development, Africana Studies, The Career and Civic Engagement Center, College Communications, Dining Services, LITS, the President's Office, the Pensby Center, and more.