[hr](JACKSON, Miss.) – The son of keynote speaker Andria Mayberry delivers strong performances weekly in his dramatic role on Fox’s “Empire,” but Mayberry will tell an audience at the Mississippi Child Welfare Institute Conference (MCWIC) that his success didn’t come easy because of the heartthrob’s ADHD.
The 16th annual conference by the School of Social Work in the College of Public Service conference will be Feb. 8-9. The event, themed “Caring People Passing the Torch of Hope for Child Welfare and Child Safety,” will be in the downtown Jackson Marriot, 200 Amite Street.
Mayberry will deliver her keynote address Friday, Feb. 9. She is a single mother of two children – one of whom is actor/rapper Bryshere Y. Gray, 24, who portrays Hakeem Lyon in the television drama series. Gray has long suffered attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Also, Mayberry operates a foundation whose mission is to empower parents and mothers to raise successful children despite the odds.
Other conference speakers will be attorney Johnnie McDaniels (Henley-Young Juvenile Justice Center in Jackson); Dr. Mary Figueroa (Family Health Center in Laurel); and Andria Mayberry (Ms. Berry Cares Foundation of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).
MCWIC provides professional development and networking opportunities to diverse professionals, students, faculty and committed child welfare individuals in the community.
To register for MCWIC, visit www.jsums.edu/marketplace and click on “MS Child Welfare Institute Conference” box.
For more information, contact Dr. Theresia Johnson-Ratliff, 601-979-8899, or Dr. Isiah Marshall Jr., 601-979-8896.