SHIRE CEO Shares Strategies for Change from the Civil Rights Movement
Strategies for Change
This video presentation features Ms. Perot’s transformative involvement in The Civil Rights Movement as a frontline activist. Her invaluable experiences were essential in forming her life principles and values that have guided her meaningful work for over 65 years.
Given the current political climate, SHIRE’s CEO is dedicated to inspiring African-Americans and other people of color to stand firm and commit to overcoming in the face of adversity. She shares tangible lessons and describes how they have guided SHIRE’s commitment to help empower communities of color, encouraging them to take charge of their health and their lives.
Key video segments include:
● The Catalyst for Perot’s Involvement in the Movement
● Mobilizing the Cleveland Black Community
● Lessons From Civil Rights Icons
● 4 Key Strategies for Change
● From Civil Rights to Health Empowerment: The SHIRE Story
Looking Ahead to 2026: SHIRE Expands Wellness Circle Programming to include Behavioral Health Resources
Since 1997, SHIRE has been dedicated to helping people of color—with a focus on
African Americans—achieve optimal physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The
organization recognizes that health extends beyond the physical and that the
community is facing a growing behavioral-health crisis marked by rising suicide rates,
increased stress among youth, and heightened isolation among seniors. Factors such
as the COVID-19 pandemic, social media, and technology have intensified these
challenges.
Behavioral health involves the habits, actions, and coping skills that influence overall
wellness, including stress management, social connection, and healthy decision-
making. When behaviors begin to harm an individual’s life or the lives of others, seeking
help is essential. Immediate support is available through the 988 hotline, where trained
counselors offer 24/7 assistance to those experiencing emotional distress or suicidal
thoughts, alongside psychologists, therapists, and other mental-health professionals.
SHIRE’s Wellness Circle Program equips participants with tools to take charge of their
well-being through a mind-body-spirit approach. In response to rising mental-health
needs, the program is expanding to include additional behavioral-health resources and
coping strategies. Wellness Circles also provide meaningful community connection to
combat loneliness, benefiting more than 2,000 participants to date. Looking ahead to
2026, SHIRE plans to broaden its reach to support people of color throughout the larger
metropolitan region and beyond.
SHIRE WELLNESS CIRCLE PARTNERS
SHIRE Wellness Circles continue to broaden their reach with great success. SHIRE’s collaboration with Amerihealth Caritas DC has engaged over 2,000 D.C. residents to date. In 2024, SHIRE entered a new partnership with Wellpoint DC offering our Wellness Circle Program to Wellpoint’s enrollees. The in-person Wellness Circle Series was stimulating and empowering, while offering participants awareness, as well as lifestyle choices pertaining to diabetes and high blood pressure. SHIRE seeking new partnerships to help equip residents of the D.C. Metropolitan area with tools to take charge of their health and wellness.