A Dream Deferred: Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of the Kerner Commission Report

March 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of the Kerner Commission Report (1968), which investigated the causes of race riots in U.S. cities in the mid-1960s. This groundbreaking federal study raised awareness of the negative effects of segregation and discrimination on black urban communities.

“But Daddy, Why Was He Shot?”: How to Talk to Children about Race Today

This is the first in a series of blog posts that the American Psychological Association (APA) will publish regarding racial/ethnic socialization practices, programs, and approaches. APA is putting together a clearinghouse of resources to help parents/caregivers to protect youth of color and themselves from the psychological damage of discrimination and racism.

Police tape saying "police line do not cross"

Why Evidence-Based Community Policing Needs to be the Norm, Not an Exception

Longstanding tensions between police and communities of color have reached a boiling point in the United States. If we are to heal as nation, we must first acknowledge and move beyond entrenched societal stereotypes that reduce people of color, particularly black men, to suspected criminals who should be feared.

Racial Trauma is Real: The Impact of Police Shootings on African Americans

There have been many changes within the criminal justice system as a means to deter crime and to keep citizens safe. However, research demonstrates that often times men of color are treated harshly which leads to negative perceptions of police officers. The recent shootings in Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights, and Dallas have exposed many individuals and their families to incidents of police brutality that reminds us that as a society work needs to be done to improve police and community relations.

Diverse kids holding hands

How to Talk to Our Kids about the Tragic Shootings in Louisiana, Minnesota and Dallas

Families around the country are coming together to talk about the officer-involved shootings in Louisiana, Minnesota, and the ambush of police officers in Dallas, Texas. These events come shortly after the violence in Orlando. In fact, it seems that acts of violence are in the news on a regular basis. How do we begin to explain all of this to our children when we, as adults, are having our own difficulties with what is occurring?

“Death by Legal Intervention” by the Numbers

This is part of our ongoing series of blog posts about race, racism and law enforcement in communities of color. By Suzanne Lea, PhD (Fellow, Interactivity Foundation, and Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore County) News of a citizen being killed or assaulted by police, or a citizen who dies in police custody, seems to be nearly a […]

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It – May 8, 2015 – Worried moms, bullying’s long-term effects and more

In this week’s In Case You Missed It (a roundup of articles related to psychology, health, mental health and social justice collated from multiple news and commentary websites) we examine whether moms worry more than dads, the long-term effects of bullying on children, the lack of second chances that Black kids get in Baltimore, how to […]