With more than 11,000 attendees, the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Annual Convention stands as one of the world’s largest gatherings of psychologists, educators, clinicians, and researchers. Among this year’s distinguished participants was Dr. Hideko Sera, Executive Director of the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Morehouse College. Held in Denver, Colorado, the convention brought together psychology professionals from across disciplines to exchange ideas and explore pressing issues shaping the field today.
Among the convention’s main stage events was a headline panel on advocacy in psychology, featuring a distinguished lineup of leaders, including Dr. Hideko Sera, Bryan Stevenson, JD, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and 2021 Morehouse College Commencement Speaker and honorary degree recipient. Joining them were Arthur Evans, PhD (APA CEO), Katherine McGuire, MS (APA Chief Advocacy Officer), Amy Beck, PhD (Missouri Psychological Association), Duke Han, PhD (University of Southern California).
The panel, titled “Doing What You Can: Advocacy Doesn’t Have to Be Intimidating,” explored how psychologists and psychology students can engage in advocacy at the local, community, and federal levels. Dr. Sera shared insights from her groundbreaking work co-creating the MARCH (Morehouse Advocacy Reaching Capitol Hill) Program, a rare undergraduate federal advocacy initiative centered on issues affecting Black men.
Through the MARCH Program, Morehouse students are given the tools and mentorship to advocate for meaningful policy change at the national level. During the panel, Dr. Sera highlighted one of the program’s early successes: the inaugural MARCH cohort’s advocacy efforts in support of the Federal Prison Oversight Act (H.R. 3019, 118th Congress), which was later signed into law. Of the more than 15,000 bills introduced during that session, only about 1.8% became law, a statistic that underscores the program’s remarkable impact.
Dr. Sera’s participation at the APA Convention reflects the national recognition the MARCH Program has received for advancing psychological advocacy, social justice, and leadership development. Co-created by Provost Kendrick Brown and Dr. Sera, both psychologists, the program exemplifies Morehouse College’s enduring commitment to preparing students not only for academic excellence but for advocacy and public service at the highest levels.
Through her work, Dr. Sera continues to elevate Morehouse College’s mission of producing men with disciplined minds who lead lives of leadership and service, carrying forward the institution’s long legacy of social justice and transformative change.