HUSSW Doctoral Student Brittany Flournoy Awarded Fellowship with the Black and Brown Collective Training and Mentorship Program

The Howard University School of Social Work proudly celebrates Brittany Flournoy, a second year doctoral student, who has been awarded a prestigious fellowship with the Black & Brown Collective Training and Mentorship Program.

The Black & Brown Collective for Community Solutions to Gun Violence (“The Collective”) is a nonprofit organization composed of staff members and over two dozen multidisciplinary scholars from academic and research institutions across the country. The Collective’s mission is to enhance community safety and wellness throughout the United States, with a particular focus on addressing the devastating impact of firearm-related violence that has disproportionately affected Black and Brown communities for decades.

With generous support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and in partnership with the University of California, Davis, the Collective is launching its Training & Mentorship Program in 2025. This innovative program is designed to support the next generation of researchers committed to developing solutions to gun violence.

Brittany has been selected as part of the inaugural 2025–2026 cohort, which includes up to 19 fellows at the pre-doctoral and post-doctoral levels. Through mentorship, training, and collaboration, fellows will be equipped to advance community-centered strategies for reducing violence and promoting wellness.

Reflecting on her experience, Brittany shared:

We met in Chicago at the University of Chicago from July 21–25, 2025, for the Program Launch and explored the city’s community violence intervention programs and initiatives. They are doing amazing work in Chicago, which is also being duplicated in Baltimore and other major cities, seeing a crime reduction.

Her fellowship reflects her unwavering commitment to scholarship, social justice, and advancing solutions to one of the most pressing challenges facing communities of color. Flournoy hopes that this opportunity will provide access to critical resources and support during her second year in the doctoral program, enabling her to continue her studies while balancing the responsibilities of motherhood, entrepreneurship, and family.

To meet the fellows and learn more about the program, visit: https://thebbcollective.org/2025-fellows/