FCC's Starks Hosting Virtual Panel on Black Mental Health

Geoffrey Starks

Geoffrey Starks

FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks is hosting a virtual panel on Black mental health and the media.

The hour-long “Thriving While Black: The Role of the Media and Communications Technology in Addressing Black Mental Health" will stream July 13 at noon on www.fcc.gov/live.  

"The COVID-19 pandemic and the recent protests for racial justice have further exacerbated stress and anxiety in Black communities across the nation. Media and communications technology offer new opportunities to elevate accurate narratives about Black mental health and new ways to access mental health services," said Starks' office in announcing the event.   

Among the topics will be "policy solutions for reliable and affordable broadband that assist marginalized groups in accessing vital telehealth services."  

The event will feature opening remarks by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.). It will be moderated by A. Prince Albert III, tech and telecom fellow at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. 

Panelists are Noopur Agarwal, VP of social impact, ViacomCBS’ Entertainment & Youth Group; Dr. Kia Darling Hammond, founder & CEO, Wise Chipmunk; David Johns, executive director, National Black Justice Coalition; Dr. Michael A. Lindsey, executive director, NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research; Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee, senior fellow in governance studies and director of Center of Technology Innovation, Brookings Institution.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.