Dell Medical School’s Department of Population Health in collaboration with the Community Strategy Team invite you to participate in the fifth event in the Social Identity Series, titled “U.S. History, Black Health – The Undeniable Link.”

Join us for a panel of experts on the changing dynamics in Central Texas and its impacts on the social determinants of health.

Having tools and skills to work with African Americans is crucial to address the health of the community. The goal of this series is to engage physicians and other health providers in ongoing discussions from community members with lived-in experience.

In the context of the African American experience, this workshop will focus on:

• Exploring the correlation between racial inequities and health status.
• Hearing from local residents about their lived experiences and how they shape their perspectives on the strengths and struggles of the Black community.
• Generating ideas about the role Dell Medical School as an institution, the faculty, researchers, and students, can play in addressing equity in Central Texas and beyond.
   

Bios
 

Marva Overton

Ms. Marva Overton currently serves as Executive Director of the Alliance for African American Health in Central Texas (AAAHCT). She grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and after living in Dallas, TX, moved to Austin in 1994 to help take care of family and pursue a graduate degree. Although not a native Austinite, both of her parents are from Austin and she has fond memories of visiting the city as a child. Marva lives in the East Austin home of her grandmother who resided there until her death at the age of 97.

 Ms. Overton received a B.S. degree from Vanderbilt University and MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.  Prior to joining AAAHCT, Ms. Overton worked in Human Resources at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas and later as an IT consultant with IBM. Her dedication to the work of the Alliance stems from a strong belief that we must engage people and work with communities to develop and implement strategies that address issues they feel are important and impact their quality of life.

She is actively engaged in the community as demonstrated by her involvement various civic and volunteer activities that include: Integral Care’s Planning and Network Advisory Committee; member of Austin Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where she has served on the Physical and Mental Health, and Political Awareness and Involvement Committee and volunteers with the Early Childhood Literacy Program; and the Blackland Neighborhood Association, Board of Directors. Ms. Overton is an inaugural member and is currently serving on the Community Strategy Team at Dell Medical School. In her leisure time, Ms. Overton enjoys reading, walking, watching sports, and spending time with family and friends. 

Charlotte S. Caples

Fueled by her passion to serve, Charlotte S. Caples morphed into Charlotte Caples Consulting, LLC as colleagues continually requested her leadership and organizational development skillset.  As a result of her services, racial equity leaders emerge! Her clients have courageous conversations about race and racism and use their voice to disrupt racial injustice.  Organizations develop racially inclusive work cultures and learn to yield racially equitable outcomes.  Who do you know that could benefit from her services?

Before starting her consulting business full-time, Charlotte served as a social service and training professional leading projects to improve services to youth, communities, and systems always advocating for those most vulnerable.  An energetic and engaging trainer, Charlotte has more than 20 years developing and facilitating training related to equity, diversity and inclusion, community engagement, leadership development, and social services.  She has worked with a diverse range of organizations including nonprofits, government agencies, education, the private sector, healthcare, foundations, coalitions, small business startups, and faith-based organizations. Previously licensed as a counselor, Charlotte has a way of getting to the heart of what matters to emerging leaders in her coaching services.

Charlotte’s varied background in social services, training, and leadership development provided the perfect foundation for her current antiracist and equity work.  Hopeful for racial equity and its possibilities, she provides coaching and consulting services that help build networks to maximize community engagement, transform organizational culture into inclusive environments, and improve performance outcomes.

Charlotte has a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Walden University.  Her dissertation research focuses on the impact of antiracism training on institutional racism.   

Charlotte is a core trainer of Undoing Racism®/Community Organizing with the internationally recognized Peoples’ Institute for Survival and Beyond and is an active member of Austin Black Caucus Antiracist Community Organizers.  She leads the Mt. Sinai Social Justice Ministry and is the program chairperson for Central Texas African American Family Support Conference.  Charlotte was recently celebrated for twenty-five years of service in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She has shared her expertise on various internet, radio and local television broadcasts to discuss racial inequities in health, mental health, and criminal justice systems. 

Sharon Ellerby

Sharon Ellerby, a native Austinite, is a wife, mother of three and has eight grandchildren.  Sharon has volunteered and worked a lifetime in the area of social service aiming to promote the well-being and welfare of those in the community.  This work has been extended to youth, residents of housing, parents seeking educational options, outreach to people living with HIV/AIDS, as well as teaching families skills for healthier cooking.  Sharon’s love of caring for others was modeled by her Grandmother that raised her.  She was affectionately known as “Mama Byrd”.  Sharon became Mama Byrd’s caregiver after she had a stroke. Caring for her was the start of Sharon’s desire to help others not lose their love ones to chronic illnesses. 

Sharon currently volunteers with the Alliance for African American Health in Texas’ A Better Me program supporting participants making healthy lifestyle changes.  Sharon is also a Practitioner with the Austin Health Commons, facilitating Truth, Racial Healing, Transformation Circles, designed to lead participants to develop a deeper understanding of our shared humanity through telling their stories.  This is the journey that God has led Sharon on that she passionately shares with others.

Hopeton Hay

Hopeton is the founder, host, and producer of Economic Perspectives, a weekly radio talk show on KAZI 88.7 FM in Austin, Texas. Since the first show in July of 1995, Economic Perspectives has strived to inform, educate, and empower Austin’s underserved communities through its coverage of minority business programs, financial literacy, career and employment strategies, and economic development issues. The show features interviews with a diverse array of book authors, entrepreneurs, government and nonprofit leaders that share their knowledge, resources, and experiences that can economically empower listeners.  Past guests have included, Maggie Anderson, author of Our Black Year - One Family's Quest to Buy Black in America's Racially Divided Economy, Janie Barrera, President of LiftFund, Yolanda Olivarez, former Regional Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Gail Cunningham, Vice President of the National Foundation for Consumer Credit.

Hopeton, who holds an B.S. in Accounting from Xavier University of Louisiana, has over 30 years of experience managing programs to enhance the growth and development of small, minority, and womenowned businesses. Currently he is Director of the Office of Historically Underutilized Business Programs for The University of Texas System Administration.  His past experiences include serving as Executive Director of the Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce (know now as Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce) and the Director of Center Operations for the Texas Office of the NAACP Community Development Resource Center.

Hopeton is Chairman of the Economic Development Committee of the Texas NAACP and is a Board Member of the National Association of Black Accountants Austin Cen-Tex Chapter.  He also served on the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for four years.

Mila Jackson

Mila Jackson is a native East Austinite.  She attended St. Mary’s Catholic School, O’Henry Junior High and Lyndon Baines Johnson High School.  She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Teaching Certificate from The University of Texas At Austin.  She just completed her 23^rd year as an educator with Austin Independent School District.  Mila has worked on both sides of town with diverse student populations and families from various socio-economic levels.  She is currently the Reading Coach and Interventionist for Pecan Springs Early College Prep, the Client Services Coordinator for Project Breast CARE, and the Project Director for Freedom Schools Austin.  She is the proud mother of two daughters.  One is a college student attending Johnson and Wales University and the other is a Marine.