Empowering transformation through healing-centered education, mindfulness, and racial healing practices.
Dr. Michelle C. Chatman is a distinguished cultural anthropologist, contemplative scholar-educator, dedicated community-engaged researcher, inspiring storyteller, and passionate youth advocate. A native of Washingtonian, DC, she proudly serves as an Associate Professor in the Crime, Justice, and Security Studies Program at The University of the District of Columbia (UDC). Dr. Chatman’s teaching and scholarship are centered on critical areas such as urban inequality and the well-being of Black families, holistic youth development, anticolonial pedagogy, mindfulness, and culturally relevant contemplative approaches.
Dr. Michelle C. Chatman’s work is transforming education through healing-centered mindfulness and cultural empowerment.
A commitment to racial healing and social justice to create spaces for liberation and collective care
Dr. Michelle C. Chatman is a visionary scholar, healing practitioner, and community builder committed to fostering transformative change. Through her work in mindfulness, racial healing, and education, she bridges the gap between inner transformation and societal equity, creating pathways for resilience and growth.
With a focus on liberatory practices and relational care, Dr. Chatman empowers communities to reimagine systems of education and leadership. Her innovative approaches inspire individuals and organizations to embrace healing-centered strategies that cultivate connection, care, and collective thriving.
Dynamic Speaking Engagements
Dr. Chatman’s extensive research and captivating public speaking engagements have twice placed her on the TEDx stage and in front of audiences throughout the US, West Africa, the Caribbean, and the United Kingdom. Her research expertise has been sought on numerous studies including the Yale Equity in Student Well-Being Project, the HBCU STEM Undergraduate Research Center, and the Ancestral Computing for Sustainability Study funded by the National Science Foundation. As a Research Fellow in the University of Minnesota’s Interdisciplinary Research Leaders Program (IRL), she launched the innovative Youth MIND Program—a mindfulness-based violence prevention and youth development initiative that has served teens throughout the DC area for five years.
Dedicated to Service
Dr. Chatman also lends her expertise to several boards, most notably The The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society (CMIND) and the Mindfulness in Education Network (MIEN). She proudly represents the inaugural cohort of the Transformative Educational Leaders (TEL) Program which cultivates the inner transformation of educational leaders who create outer transformative change in the field of education.
Dr. Chatman is also the visionary founder of the Black Mindfulness Summit, a dynamic community and gathering of well-being practitioners from the African Diaspora. A luminary figure in her field, Michelle was rightfully recognized as one of the 10 Powerful Women in the Mindfulness Movement by Mindful.org. She is currently a Fellow in the 2024-2025 cohort of the Culture of Health Leadership Institute for Racial Healing.
In 2023, Dr. Chatman inaugurate the UDC Mindful and Courageous Action (MICA) Lab, a pioneering venture dedicated to revolutionizing learning, leadership, and social change through a healing-centered, liberatory approach. Beyond her academic and advocacy pursuits, Dr. Chatman finds fulfillment in her cherished family, spirited karaoke sessions, and unforgettable travel adventures.
Discover Transformative Solutions with Dr. Michelle C. Chatman
- Engage in healing-centered leadership coaching.
- Explore mindfulness and racial healing practices.
- Collaborate on transformative education initiatives.
