CRYSTAL’S CHAMPIONS
Dr. Alexis M. Davis ‘HIP HOP-OLOGIST’
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r. Alexis M. Davis is a clinical psychologist from Kansas City, MO. She obtained her Ph.D. from Jackson State University in 2018. With a combination of educational and clinical experience, Dr. Davis has branded herself as a ‘Hip Hop-ologist’, fusing Mental Health with hip-hop culture and traditional African healing practices.
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Psychologists (ABPsi) Student Circle at Jackson State University. Under her leadership, Jackson State ABPsi Student Circle hosted its first Student-Led Psychology Conference, “The Legacy of Black Psychology”. The three day conference hosted over 50 students, fac-
Dr. A’s focus gives her unique expertise in guiding clients with a culturally uplifting and affirming praxis, empowering them to create their own versions of healing. Her ability to connect hip-hop culture to mental wellness also promotes increased opportunities for engaging communities that have historically had limited access and awareness to mental health services and information. Davis’ clinical experience, while diverse, has a poignant focus on the Black experience. Her research topics have focused on attitudes and perceptions of women in Mississippi on HIV transmission. As a Research Assistant, she compiled data and executed interviews with actual subjects, as well as data analysis. During her participation with this project, Dr. A was affirmed in the need for more specialized engagement strategies for African American women and the ways that dominant culture research practices often distort the voices and perceptions of African Americans in general. Dr. A also was a founding member and inaugural president of the Association for Black
ulty, and staff from Grambling University, Xavier University, Southern University, and Jackson State University. Conference participants attended panels and workshops led by prominent professors and civil rights activists, such as former Black Panther Leader Frankye Adams Johnson. The conference included student poster sessions and presentations on a variety of research topics centered around the Black experience. While on internship at the University of Texas-El Paso - the final year of her PhD. Program - Dr. A’s position as a ‘Psychologist for the Culture’ was cemented when she created and hosted the Love and Hip-Hop week: UTEP
