Join us for Findlay Market's 5th Annual Juneteenth Group & Panel Discussion in partnership with Black is Excellence. Following this year’s theme, We Rise, Heal and Overcome, panelists will discuss the ongoing work of building community, lifting each other up, and learning to heal in the face of continual adversity.
This panel discussion is entirely free of charge, but seating is limited, so we kindly ask that you reserve your seat ahead of time.
Moderating this panel will be Deasa Dorsey, a Community Educator, Patient Advocate, and Visionary.
Deasa Dorsey is a Community Educator, Patient Advocate, and Visionary. She is the Visionary & Co-Founder of the Black Nurse Network. Deasa is also the Co-Director and Co-Producer of Breaking the Silence: A Black Nursing Documentary (2024).
As the Founder of iCan Health Inc, she empowers individuals to achieve their optimal health and authored The iCan Manual: My Simple Manual For Living With Diabetes. Deasa has 15 years of nursing experience and has received numerous honors, including a Black Is Excellence Honoree, the Onyx and Ruby Rising Star Award.
She is inspired by Ancestor Maya Angelou’s quote: "Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it."
This Year’s Panelists
Alandes Powell, Co-Founder, Black Art Speaks, Author
Though Alandes has an impressive background in finance, she is best known for her work as a community advocate.
Alandes was the visionary behind Cincinnati’s Black Lives Matter Mural, inspired by her poem, ”We Want What You Want”. She co-founded Black Art Speaks, an arts collective dedicated to amplifying Black voices through creative expression.
A passionate leader and changemaker, Alandes currently serves on the Rober O’Neal Multi-cultural Center and GenNow Board. She is also a published author, co-authoring ‘The Making of Cincinnati’s Black Lives Matter Mural’
Her impact has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including 2022 Black and Brown Leadership Honoree and 2018 Cincinnati Enq/Greater Cincinnati Foundation Woman of the Year.
Dr. Steven Kniffley, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Associate Professor, and Higher Education Administrator at the University of Cincinnati
Dr. Kniffley’s area of expertise is research and clinical work with Black males and the treatment of race-based stress and trauma.
Dr. Kniffley has written numerous books, and articles on Black Male mental health, Black males and the criminal justice system, racial trauma treatment and training, program evaluation, organizational diversity, and academic achievement.
He is currently the Vice-President for Diversity for the Ohio Psychological Association. Additionally, Dr. Kniffley has been selected as one of Louisville’s top 40 under 40 for 2020, and was the recipient of the 2020 MediStar Healthcare Advocacy Award, among many others. Most recently, Dr. Kniffley was inducted into the Black Psychologist Hall of Fame at Hampton University.
Dr. Kelli Beecher, Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati’s College of Nursing; Licensed Family Nurse Practitioner
Dr. Kelli Beecher is an Assistant Professor within the University of Cincinnati’s College of Nursing and a licensed Family Nurse Practitioner in the state of Ohio. She is a mental health wellness coach and founder of Dr. Bee Well LLC, a company committed to nurturing and empowering individuals through holistic workshops and home fragrance that integrate mind, body, and spirit. Dr. Beecher also serves as the co-chair of the mentoring committee and co-leader of the Black Nurse Network, an organization that works to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in nursing schools and the nursing profession.
Norman D. Holloway, Success Via Chess
As a proud husband and father, Norman Holloway reflects on his accomplishments with gratitude. He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Organizational Leadership. His career as a paralibrarian at CHPL spanned 25 years.
Upon retiring in 2016, he transitioned his focus to mentoring young individuals through chess instruction. He currently serves as the program coordinator for the Chris Collinsworth ProScan Fund's Chess In School Program and manages SuccessViaChess. His personal story showcases resilience and a deep-seated commitment to empowering individuals and communities.
He is a strong believer in the idea that one’s purpose extends beyond individual aspirations. He continually strives for improvement, aiming to inspire others one mate at a time.