Charisse Jones

Charisse Jones is an award winning journalist who is currently a New York correspondent for USA Today. She is a former staff writer for The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, and is a contributing writer for Essence magazine.

While at The LA Times, she co-wrote one of ten stories to win the Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Los Angeles riots. She and her son live in New Jersey.

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Video Commentary: Why it matters how black women wear their hair

Kumea Shorter-Gooden, Ph.D.

Kumea is a professor and coordinator of the Multicultural Community/Clinical Psychology Emphasis Area at the California School of Professional Psychology (Los Angeles campus) of Alliant International University. She earned her bachelor's degree (Magna Cum Laude) at Princeton University and a Ph.D. in Clinical/Community Psychology from the University of Maryland. Her research and publications have been in the area of identity development and psychotherapy with African Americans. She is a consulting editor for Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, and she has published in journals, such as Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Mental Health, The Journal of Black Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Journal of Adolescence.

A licensed psychologist, Kumea has a psychotherapy and organizational consultation practice. She is an active presenter and workshop leader, speaking to numerous community-based and church groups.

She lives in Southern California with her husband and their daughter.