What does Wellbeing look like when Black communities help define it—and shape the science that supports it?

The Center for Black Excellence and Culture (CBEC) and UW–Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds (CHM) have launched the Black Wellbeing Civic Science Initiative, a collaborative effort bringing Black cultural wisdom, lived experience, and scientific research together to advance health, connection, belonging, and flourishing.

Supported by a $247,000 grant from the Dana Foundation, the initiative welcomes Dr. Easton James Davis as its Civic Science Fellow. Davis will lead implementation of the initiative in collaboration with community members and the partnership team, helping translate shared priorities into research and practical resources.

The initiative marks a new phase of an ongoing partnership between CBEC and CHM. Its central commitment is to place Black residents at the heart of the research process—from identifying questions that matter to their communities to interpreting findings and shaping how that knowledge is used.

“Black communities hold generations of knowledge about resilience, healing, connection, and what it takes to flourish,” said Rev. Dr. Alex Gee Jr., founder and CEO of The Center for Black Excellence and Culture.

“This partnership recognizes that wisdom as essential to scientific discovery. With Dr. Davis helping lead this work, we have an opportunity to build something with our community that reflects our experiences, honors our strengths, and produces knowledge we can put to use."

During the 18-month fellowship, Davis will work across community and university settings to build relationships, organize listening sessions, and develop a research agenda grounded in Black residents’ definitions of Wellbeing.

Working with CBEC, CHM, and community advisors, he will help explore what strengthens trust in research, what barriers limit participation, and how neuroscience and Wellbeing research can become more culturally relevant and accessible.

The work will also examine how Black cultural strengths—including creativity, spirituality, storytelling, and intergenerational wisdom—can inform research questions and approaches to community Wellbeing.

“The science of Wellbeing becomes stronger when the people it seeks to serve help shape its questions and interpret its findings,” said Dr. Richard J. Davidson, founder and director of the Center for Healthy Minds.

“Our collaboration with The Center for Black Excellence and Culture creates an opportunity for reciprocal learning: scientific knowledge can inform community priorities, while Black community wisdom can deepen and improve the science itself. Dr. Davis will play a central role in bringing those perspectives together.”

“I am excited to begin this work by listening to how Black residents describe healing, belonging, and the conditions that help them flourish,” said Dr. Easton James Davis, Civic Science Fellow. “My hope is to bring community wisdom and scientific inquiry into a shared process where residents help shape the questions and the meaning of what we learn. Together, we can develop knowledge and practices that honor Black experiences and support Wellbeing in everyday life. ”

Planned activities include community listening sessions, interviews, collaborative interpretation of findings, and reporting back to participating communities. Anticipated products include a framework for Black-led community research, a civic science engagement toolkit to promote flourishing in the Black community, and presentations and publications that share lessons from the collaboration.

The goal is to establish a foundation for sustained research and action that supports Black Wellbeing in Madison, with insights that may inform efforts across Wisconsin and beyond.

The Dana Foundation’s support makes possible dedicated fellowship leadership and resources for community engagement and research. The fellowship runs from October 2026 through March 2028.

CBEC and CHM are also planning a welcome gathering, “Where Black Excellence Meets the Science of Wellbeing,” to introduce Davis and share the partnership’s vision with community members, local leaders, and scholars. Attendance and registration details will be announced separately.