Meet the Speakers: The Mental Health Crisis for Black Men and Boys
✨ Meet the Speakers ✨
Sustaining Change continues next week with “The Mental Health Crisis for Black Men and Boys: What’s our work to do?” This is a critical conversation for our education, youth development, and workforce partners. This plenary will provide insight, research, and resources for how to recognize unique needs, ask different questions of our data, and embed mental health supports in direct service programs.
Our plenary speakers will draw on their multi-facted experiences as licensed clinical counselors, youth development leaders, researchers, policy advocates, and philanthropic leaders. Learn more about them here.
Ronald P. McClain is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), who received a law degree (JD) from Loyola University at New Orleans School of Law in 2004. Mr. McClain is currently the Executive Director of the Institute of Mental Hygiene of the City of New Orleans (IMH). Mr. McClain has worked with children and families in need for over thirty years. He has been a frequent speaker and trainer in the social services arena. He is immediate past chair of the Board of Trustees of United Way of Southeast Louisiana.
A long-term resident of New Orleans, Mr. McClain has over 30 years of experience in social service administration and university teaching in the social work field. His successes were featured in a social policy textbook by Dr. Bruce Jansson of the University of Southern California, Becoming an Effective Policy Advocate, From Policy Practice to Social Justice.
Christopher P. Chatmon is a CEO and equity-driven education leader with 30+ years of experience improving the educational and life outcomes of Black boys and young men from PreK through Ph.D. As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kingmakers of Oakland, he partners with schools, districts, and community organizations to build the systems, structures, cultures, and conditions that strengthen belonging, self-efficacy, cultural identity, and collective responsibility, while also operating the KOO Labs Design Center and Production House to cultivate youth creativity and entrepreneurship through music, film, animation, and fashion design. Previously, Chatmon served as Oakland Unified School District’s first Deputy Chief of Equity, where he architected the nationally recognized African American Male Achievement initiative and helped expand targeted excellence efforts across multiple student communities. A sought-after national speaker and award-winning changemaker, he leads with love, accountability, and deep service to community.
Detroit-native, Dr. Shae Robinson-Mosley is a creative problem-solver who identifies systemic challenges and designs human-centered solutions. With a Ph.D. in Social and Behavioral Science from Johns Hopkins University and clinical experience as a practicing physician assistant, Shae bridges research, design, and storytelling to drive meaningful change.
As Chief Research Officer at The Playbook, Shae leads discovery research with diverse stakeholders to uncover user needs and multi-level barriers that inform evidence-based programming and intervention strategy. Shae's work is rooted in a simple belief: the best solutions come from truly understanding people's needs and telling their stories well. Her approach combines rigorous research with creative communication
In addition to her Ph.D., Shae holds a Master of Medical Sciences in physician assistant studies from Emory University, and degrees in Adult and Higher Education (M.Ed.) and Sports Medicine-Athletic Training (B.S.). Whether designing research studies, building programs, or writing newsletters, she's committed to making complex problems solvable and meaningful change possible.
A self-proclaimed foodie, Shae loves to travel and explore different cultures through food. In her free time, you can find Shae swinging heavy kettlebells, catching up on her favorite shows, and hanging out with her favorite rescue pup, Winston (The Girl!).
Dr. Rashawn Ray is vice president and executive director of the AIR Opportunity Fund, a 10-year, $225M initiative focused on addressing persistent disparities in education, workforce development, public safety, and community health. The Fund partners with communities and organizations to create evidence-informed, locally driven solutions that expand opportunity and improve lives.
In addition to his leadership at AIR, Dr. Ray is a professor at the University of Maryland and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. His research explores the causes of racial and social inequities, particularly in criminal justice reform, health policy, and wealth disparities. As the founding executive director of the Lab for Applied Social Science Research (LASSR), he developed a virtual reality training program for law enforcement and led implicit bias training for thousands of police officers, military personnel, and corporate leaders.
Dr. Ray’s extensive academic contributions include three books and over 50 articles and book chapters published in top journals such as the American Journal of Sociology, Science Advances, Social Science Research, and Du Bois Review. His work has been supported by major institutions, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Ford Foundation. Dr. Ray was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, and served on the National Advisory Committee for the RWJF Health Policy Research Scholars Program. He also served as co-editor of Contexts Magazine: Sociology for the Public, which attracted over one million website views annually.
Beyond academia, Dr. Ray is a sought-after expert who regularly testifies before federal and state lawmakers, offering critical insights that inform policies on racial equity, public safety and policing, and criminal justice. He has written extensively for The Washington Post, The New York Times, and POLITICO, and is featured regularly as a trusted expert commentator on major networks such as CNN, Fox, MSNBC, BBC, CBS, and NPR. Through his media contributions and public speaking, Dr. Ray’s work continues to reach diverse audiences, shaping public discourse on some of the most pressing social challenges of our time.
His expertise extends to several high-impact advisory roles, including:
The National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Board Subcommittee on Law Enforcement, where he advises the U.S. President on law enforcement and AI;
The Maryland Governor’s Task Force on Bias in Property Valuation, where he focuses on reducing bias in property assessments;
The Legacy Renovation Scholars Committee, National Civil Rights Museum, where he supports initiatives to preserve African American history and
The Meta Global Policy Council, where he provides strategic advice on global policy issues.
Dr. Ray’s contributions to sociology and public policy have earned him numerous awards, including:
The Andrew Carnegie Fellowship;
The AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science;
The Public Understanding of Sociology Award, American Sociological Association;
The Morris Rosenberg Award for Outstanding Sociological Achievement, awarded by the D.C. Sociological Society; and
The Outstanding Young Alumni Award, Indiana University.
Register today for “The Mental Health Crisis for Black Men and Boys: What’s our work to do?”
Monday, March 30, 2026 11amCST - 12pmCST
