Dr. Rogí Banks-Buckner is a School Psychologist in the District of Columbia. She has dedicated over 15 years to advancing youth development via education, artivism and mental health advocacy. Dr. Rogí is a proud two-time graduate of Howard University, securing her B.F.A. in Theatre Arts Education and her PhD in School Psychology. Her primary research focus is culturally competent bully prevention. When creating and implementing evidence-based strategies, she emphasizes the importance of “unlearning to relearn.” Dr. Rogí recently began her postdoctoral fellowship with Psychohairapy to further her community-based clinical specialization and advance culturally sensitive research. Although disrupting social constructs to promote equity is a delicate process, she always welcomes the challenge.
Dr. Rogí also created HBCU Institute in 2018, to help strengthen youth-centered research and programming. It is an agency of community members—individuals and groups—who help provide middle and high school students with access to culturally enriching education support networks and resources. Powered by research and programming professionals, the agency’s mission is to connect educators, youth, and their families with stakeholders whom are passionate about sustaining integral and experiential service-learning opportunities in the community to bridge gaps in educational success. Expanding knowledge through authentic platforms and diverse instructional mediums is the primary goal of the HBCU Institute and its affiliates. Dr. Rogí lives by the philosophy that helping youth and families are one in the same.