UVA’s Dr. Michael Gerard Mason on new norms for student mental health and the necessity for remembering race in America long after 2020.
Michael Gerard Mason, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, NCSC, is the Associate Dean of African American Affairs and Director of the Luther Porter Jackson Black Cultural Center at the University of Virginia, and expert advisor to The Steve Fund. He spoke with us about his ground-breaking work on the mental health of Black students at UVA with lessons learned for all schools post-pandemic; how the pandemic changed caretaking norms on campus; and the inflection point that now exists for how we respond to racial disparities in this country.