Finding Joy and Purpose in Turbulent Times

“Family helps me remember, not just where I come from, but who I am called to be. I learned from my grandfather, who had just a sixth grade education, that life can be hard, but life can be sweet.”

Khalilah L. Brown-Dean, PhD, shared lessons from her professional and personal journey toward becoming an award-winning author, political scientist, and civic leader, during her lecture on February 16, 2026, as part of YSM’s Perspectives for Inclusion Lecture Series. Her talk was followed by a discussion with Assistant Professor of Medicine Cece Calhoun, MD, MPHS, MBA, MPH, and Darin Latimore, MD, Deputy Dean of Collaborative Excellence.

Addressing the medical students and faculty in the room, she said, “You work in settings where the margins of error are slim but you have to protect your peace fiercely. You are entitled to peace, to joy, to silliness. That can be a song, a celebration of love or friendship, or an extra piece of chocolate. Joy is an unapologetic birthright.”

Brown-Dean emphasized the importance of joy in navigating difficult times. “Resilience reminds you that you can get through, but it requires acknowledgement. It is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of your humanity. Resilience is imperative. Joy is not denial. It is the insistence that our dignity and our worth are not negotiable.”

As a college student, she spent years preparing for law school before deciding to pursue a PhD in political science. Brown-Dean is now Wesleyan University’s Rob Rosenthal Distinguished Professor of Civic Engagement and inaugural executive director of the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life. Her advice is to, “Center your North Star. It does not have to be anyone else’s. It is a reflection of who you want to be, not just what you want to do. What I knew was that I was curious.” She added that deciding to pivot, “isn’t failure but course correction. Changes in your path might be preparing you for something else or protecting you from something worse.”

She continued, “We should never deny the power of community. However you define and wherever you find community. It can sustain you and remind you that there is something greater than yourself.”

Brown-Dean is also the host of DISRUPTED, an award-winning show on Connecticut Public Radio highlighting changemakers. The radio show began during the Covid-19 pandemic, because, Brown-Dean “wanted people to understand that disruption does not mean have to mean chaos. It can create clarity and moments that force us to ask new questions.”

Reflecting on the show’s 250 episodes of interviews, she noted, “People are searching for spaces where they can do their work with integrity. I say to young people, ‘I still don’t yet know what I want to be when I grow up.’ For me, the goal is to always develop the skills that will carry you wherever life takes you. People who have had major disruptions in their lives have learned important lessons.”

Deputy Dean Darin Latimore noted that the audience was uplifted by Brown-Dean’s “focus on joy and resilience. Ultimately, we have control over our response to what goes on in the world around us, and through our resilience, we have an active say in our destiny.”

This Perspectives for Inclusion lecture was sponsored by the YSM Office of Collaborative Excellence.