Speaker Series: Racial Battle Fatigue

William A. Smith is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Utah with roles spanning the Departments of Psychiatry and Education, Culture, & Society, and the African American Studies division of the Ethnic Studies Program. He is also the Chief Executive Administrator for Strategic Initiatives and Mental Health Justice at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. His initiatives include the Stop Stigma Together and Love Your Mind national campaigns to reduce mental health stigma and promote wellness across diverse communities.

Internationally renowned for his pioneering work on Racial Battle Fatigue, a concept he coined in 2003, Dr. Smith’s research has significantly advanced the understanding of how systemic racism and racial aggressions — both micro and macro — affect the mental and physical well-being of minority individuals. He describes Racial Battle Fatigue as a systemic, racism-related repetitive stress injury with profound and cumulative impact s on those targeted by racism.

Dr. Smith’s…