Valerie Borum

Dr. Valerie Borum (she/her/hers) joined Toronto Metropolitan University as the new TMU School of Social Work Director in January 2020.  She has experience as both a BSSW Program Director and an MSW Program Director. As a social work practitioner, she directed two programs, supervising social work and human service professionals serving persons with intersecting identities (e.g., disability, race/ethnicity, gender, deafness, etc.).

Dr. Borum’s research and scholarship focus on the role of ethno-culture as a protective and promotive factor in health, mental health, and disabilities, with attention to populations of African descent. She studies the intersection of disabilities, deafness, and ethno-culture, with attention to Black/African American and Afro-Latinx/Black Hispanic families with deaf and hard-of-hearing children. She also studies the intersection of ‘whiteness’ and anti-Blackness/anti-Black racism. She incorporates Womanist and Afrocentric research, scholarship, and education (pedagogy).

Dr. Borum completed her post-doctoral studies (e.g., focus on suicide and ethno-culture) at the University of Rochester, School of Medicine, Rochester, NY. Dr. Borum received her Ph.D. in Social Work from Howard University's School of Social Work and her MSW from Gallaudet University. She received the Ester Ottley Fellowship, a one-year internship for one female student who most exemplifies qualities of leadership and humanity while at Howard University. While studying at Gallaudet University for her Master’s in Social Work, all her instruction was in American Sign Language (ASL). She received her B.A. in Psychology with minors in Biology and Philosophy from Mundelein Women’s College at Loyola University, Chicago, IL.

Dr. Borum is currently conducting research focusing on advocacy and families of colour as a research collaborator/consultant with Laurent Clerc National Deaf Educational Research Center at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.  Dr. Borum continues to seek external funding for her research, scholarship, and creative activities. 

Dr. Borum was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois in the USA.

Families of Color and Deaf Children Advocacy Project, Gallaudet University/Laurent Clerc National Deaf Educational and Research Center

Year: 2021-present

Role: Research Consultant/Collaborator

FCS Anti-Black Racism Curriculum Development Fund

Year: 2021-2022

Role: Co-Principal Investigator with Dr. Funke Oba (Principal investigator)

Funds Awarded: $5,000

CEWIL Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada

Year: 2020-2021    

Role: Principal Investigator

Funds Awarded: $52,000

Title IV-E Child Welfare Agency/University Partnership

Year: 2019-2021    

Role: Principal Investigator 

Funds Awarded: US$240,000

The CH Foundation Professional Practice Fellowships

Year: 2018-2019

Role: Principal Investigator 

Funds Awarded: US$32,000

Understanding the Socio-Cultural Role of Ethnic Culture as a Protective and Promotive Factor against Suicide among African American Women: Womanist Implications for Public Health and Public Policy

Year: 2012-2013    

Role: Principal Investigator

Funded by: Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago

Funds Awarded: US$7,000

African Americans’ Perceived Socio-Cultural Determinants of Suicide: Afrocentric Implications for Public Health Disparities 

Year: 2012

Funded by: Faculty Research Scholarship Support Program, University of Illinois at Chicago

Funds Awarded: US$1,000

Research to Practice: Translating Research through Health Promotion, Prevention and Preparedness, Across Two Settings 

Year: 2009-2012

Role: Co-Principal Investigator and Co-Evaluator

Funded by: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RFA-CD-09-001

Funds Awarded: US$1,349,659

Exploration of Culturally Relevant Protective Factors Against Suicide Among African American Young Adults

Year: 2009-2010

Role: Principal Investigator

Funded by: Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago

Funds Awarded: US$4,000

An Exploration of Culturally Relevant Protective Factors Against Suicide Among African Americans 

Year: 2007-2010

Role: Principal Investigator

Funded by: University of Illinois at Chicago Faculty Research Grant

Funds Awarded: $30,000

Difficult Dialogues: Promoting Pluralism and Academic Freedom on Campus

Year: 2007-2009

Role: Co-Investigator

Funding Organization: The Ford Foundation (Note: Not Funded - US$100,000) 

Perceived Suicidal Risk, Support, Help Seeking, and Utilization of Mental Health Services Among African American College Students: An Afrocentric Theoretical Approach

Year: 2006-2007

Role: Principal Investigator

Funded by: Fordham University Faculty Research Development Fund

Funds Awarded: US$4,000

• Borum, V. (in revision). Examining African American women’s perceptions and beliefs regarding mental health services and depression care: A Womanist organizing framework.
•  Slayter, E. & Borum, V. (forthcoming). An intersectional analysis of disability resistance movements: Looking back to look forward. In Slayter, E. & Johnson, L. Social work practice and the disability community: An intersectional anti-oppressive approach.
  
• Borum, V. & Slayter, E. (2023). The intersection of disability movements and coalition building: Diversity is more than a concept. 
  
• Borum, V. (2022). Invited. Rocks in My Pockets and The S Word (Lisa Klein, 2017). Films for the Feminist Classroom.
  
• Borum, V. (2014).  African Americans’ perceived sociocultural determinants of suicide: Afrocentric implications for public health disparities.  Social Work in Public Health, pp. 29, 7, 656–670.
  
• Borum, V.  (2012). Perceptions of communication choice and usage among African American hearing parents: Afrocentric cultural implications for deaf and hard of hearing children. American Annals of the Deaf, pp. 157, 1, 7–15.
  
• Borum, V. (2012). African American women’s perceptions of depression and suicide risk and protection: A womanist exploration. Affilia: Journal of Social Work and Women, pp. 1–12. DOI: 10.1177/0886109912452401
  
• Borum, V. (2011).  Faces at the bottom of oppression.  Society without Borders: Human Rights and the Social Sciences.
  
• Borum, V. (2008). African American parents with deaf children: Reflections on Spirituality.  JADARA, Journal of the American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association, pp. 41, 3, 207226.
  
• Borum, V. (October-December 2007). African American mothers with deaf daughters: A womanist conceptual framework. Families in Society, 88, 4, 595–604.
  
• Borum, V. (2007).  Why we can’t wait! An Afrocentric perspective in working with African American families. Special Issue on African-American Perspectives.  Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, p. 15, 2/3, pp. 117–135. 
  
• Borum, V. (2007). Why we can’t wait! An Afrocentric perspective working with African American families in Hall, J. C., & Bowie, S. L. (Eds.). African American behaviour in the social environment: New perspectives. New York: Haworth.
  
• Borum, V. (2007).  African Americans, U.S. poverty, and international law: An Afrocentric cultural transformation. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, pp. 15, 1, 99–120.
  
• Borum, V. (2006). Perceptions and responses to deafness among African American families with deaf children.  JADARA, Journal of the American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association, pp. 37, 3, 1–27.
• Borum, V. (2006).  The practice of teaching concepts of ‘race’ and ethnicity: An Afro-feminist perspective. Monograph— UK: The Centre for Sociology, Anthropology and Politics, part of the Higher Education Academy.
  
• Borum, V. (2006). Reading and writing Womanist poetic prose: African American mothers with deaf children.  Qualitative Inquiry, pp. 12, 2, 1–13.
  
• Borum, V. (2006). Where’s the poetic justice?  African American parents’ view of an American deaf community. Quality Report, pp. 10, 4, 703–717.
  
• Borum, V. (2004). African American families with deaf children: A review of the literature. JADARA, Journal of the American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association 37, 1, 1–24. JADARA Best Article Award for 2003- 2005
• Borum, V. (2010).  Book review [Review of the book: Women of color on the rise: Leadership and administration in social work education and the academy].  Administration in Social Work, 35(4).
• Borum, V. (2005). My culture (poetry). AFFILIA.
  
• Borum, V. (2005). Spirituality (poetry). AFFILIA.
  
• Merriweather, K.B., Borum, V., & Sege, J. (1996). EVOLUTA: Creative muses on Black womanhood. Washington, DC: An EVOLUTA/DCABDA Productions.
  
• Borum, V. (1994). Orientation to deafness for social workers. The Metro Social Work Newsreport. pp. 12–13.
  

Peer-Reviewed Journal Manuscripts in Review and/or In Progress

• Borum, V. (preparing to submit). Toward an Afrocentric public health framework: Making space for African American humanity. 
• Borum, V. (in progress). Speakin’ in womanist prose: African American women’s life-affirming stances. 
  
• Borum, V. (in progress). Evidence-based practice paradigm and threats to validity: When dominant, universal cultural assumptions go unchallenged.
  
• Borum, V. (in progress). Gun violence and the disparate impact of cultural dominance: Whose lives really matter?