Personal Statement from the Executive Director:

As an African American Muslim woman of African and European descent, I carry the legacy of resilience, sacrifice, and progress. I am a descendant of enslaved ancestors from South Carolina who migrated to Washington, D.C., before the Civil Rights Act of 1965—ancestors whose strength lives on in every step I take toward justice, healing, and transformation. My life’s direction was forever changed through my study of Islam in the Middle East, where I came to understand the depth, beauty, and purpose of our faith. That knowledge awakened a deeper mission in me: to serve communities through the advancement of Islamic psychology and the reform of healthcare systems that too often neglect the emotional, spiritual, and cultural realities of those they claim to serve.

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Maryam Tree Center was established to address gaps in how psychological well-being, family functioning, and community well-being are understood within research and institutional practice. The Center operates at the intersection of Islamic psychology and contemporary psychological science, with a focus on research, knowledge translation, and long-term institutional understanding. Our work is grounded in the recognition that psychological health is shaped not only by individual and relational experience, but also by healthcare, educational, food, and justice systems, including the institutional conditions affecting incarcerated individuals and communities navigating fragmented support. Guided by Islamic intellectual tradition and empirical inquiry, Maryam Tree Center contributes scholarship that examines how institutional structures, policies, and resource pathways shape risk, resilience, and recovery across the life course, with particular attention to Muslim communities and other historically marginalized populations.

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This work is deeply personal. It is dedicated to my beloved Aunt Carol Corbett, who fought tirelessly in her battle with cancer. To my Uncle Tommy Massey, whose fight during the COVID-19 pandemic left a space in our hearts that can never be filled. To my mother, Angenette, a breast cancer survivor whose strength continues to inspire me. To my father, a retired Navy Lieutenant Commander and former Chief Medical Officer of Chicago Naval Medical Center. To my grandfather, a Washington D.C. businessman and Charleston cement truck driver. To my grandmother, Dorthy L. Massey, an Operating Room Registered Nurse whose compassion and dedication to healing continue to inspire my journey. To my great-grandfather, Oliver Massey, who lived in Ardmore Ward 1 during the Black Wall Street Massacre. To all my ancestors from South Carolina, whose faith and fortitude have shaped my path. And to my paternal grandmother, Dorothy Crump, whose legacy continues through every effort I make.

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May this work bring benefit to many and be accepted as a small contribution toward justice, healing, and knowledge.

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Sincerely,
Darya Bailey
Exectutive Director, Maryam Tree Center