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Who we are: The Root Shock Institute
The Root Shock Institute is a project of the Community Research Group of New York State Psychiatric Institute and Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. Founded in 2005 by Mindy Thompson Fullilove, Robert Fullilove, Mark Boutros and Molly Kaufman, the Institute conducts research, provides consultation, disseminates information and educates about the prevention, treatment and understanding of root shock.
The Root Shock Institute is currently involved in the following projects:
“Open Circle, Welcome Square: the Urbanism of Michel Cantal-Dupart.” This is a movie about urban development that is based on Cantal’s “aesthetics of equity.” This approach to development sees beauty as inextricably linked to human well-being.
“New York: STOP AIDS” This is a project that is helping AIDS organizations and other communities appreciate that root shock is critical element in the spread and progress of this deadly disease.
Learning by Touring. One of the most effective ways of learning about root shock is to tour a local area that has experienced upheaval. The Root Shock Institute collaborates with local organizations to visit important sites in the US. We have visited urban renewal sites in Syracuse, NY (see article “Root Shock Spurs Tour” ); Madison, Wisconsin; Baltimore, Maryland; and many cities in France.
Along with local schoolchildren, university students, and area residents, Mindy Fullilove toured the site of an urban renewal project in Madison, Wisconsin. She learned about the proud history of Greenbush, a multi-ethnic neighborhood in which Italians, Jews, and African Americans lived comfortably together. The tour stopped to see the Greenbush Monument, covered with quotes from people displaced from the area when it was destroyed. The children discovered that the sun had heated the stone of the monument. They threw themselves on the stone, saying, “It’s warm! It’s warm!” Photograph by Mindy Fullilove, 2005. |
