Dr. Rohit Chandra
Chair
is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at MGH Chelsea, where he works closely with immigrant populations, co-chairs a Research Round table, and Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, where he teaches 3rd-year medical students. He is president of the New England chapter of the Indo-American Psychiatric Association (psychiatrists of Indian origin), and co-chairs the Early Career Psychiatrist committee of AACAP, the largest organization for child and adolescent psychiatrists nationally. He has a BA from Dartmouth College and an MD from Boston University School of Medicine, and trained at Boston Medical Center and MGH for psychiatry residency and child and adolescent fellowship, respectively. During fellowship at MGH, he served on the Psychiatry Department’s Diversity Committee, won a Child PRITE fellowship from the American College of Psychiatrists, and spoke at Harvard College about Asian-American student mental health. He is interested in the cultural identity development of Asian-Americans, values differences and intergenerational conflict within Asian-American families, and the impact of academic pressure on student mental health. He has published on the influence of values and culture on the mental health of Asian Indians in America. He is so pleased to have the opportunity to work closely with the CCSEW.
Donna Brown
Executive Director of South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation, a non profit developer and manager of affordable housing. SBNDC has created over 200 units of affordable housing in South Boston, including housing for the elderly, families and Veterans. Donna has more than 25 years of experience in the community development field, serving as a project manager at the City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development and President of the board of SBNDC.
In addition to her work at South Boston NDC, Donna has volunteered at a variety of non-profits. She served as the Clerk of the South Boston Community Development Foundation, managing the distribution of $400,000 in grants to South Boston charities. She is Treasurer of the South Boston Association of Non Profits and a member of the board of Medicine Wheel Productions. Donna is an avid gardener and became a Certified Master Gardener through the Massachusetts Horticultural Society
Letta Neely
Letta Neely is an Earthling; she is also a Black Dyke, an Artist, an Activist, a Feminist, and a Mother. In addition to Juba and Here, Letta is the author of the chapbooks When We Were Mud and gawd and alluh huh sistuhs. Her plays: “Hamartia Blues”, “Last Rites”, and “Shackles & Sugar” have been produced in Boston, Philly, and Los Angeles. She is a co-artistic director for Fort Point Theatre Channel and the editor of Ife Franklin’s book, “The Slave Narratives of Willie Mae”. She is also an actor and director, most recently performing with the A.R.T. in the Boston Theatre Marathon Zoom Edition and directing Renita Martin’s “Unmasked” for the Revolution of Values Black Theatre Project. She believes in the interconnectedness of both the struggle and the liberation.
Phyllis Corbitt,
President of Old Colony Tenant Task Force discusses her passion to serve Old Colony’s community and advocate for the elderly.
Since court-ordered busing in Boston 40 years ago, the Old Colony Public Housing development became one of BHA’s first desegregated developments to become tremendously diverse. Today, Phyllis Corbitt, President of Old Colony Tenant Task Force is proud to serve this diversity.
Now, the community leader spends her time setting up activities for Old Colony’s youth with The Boys and Girls Club and running yard sales behind the community center. Corbitt uses profits made from the yard sale to host barbecues for the elderly on weekends. The proceeds left over, allow for trips with elderly residents to go see Emerson College’s theatrical plays.
In Memoriam Jack Casey
On December 1, 2020 we lost one of the best, Jack Casey.