Applying Psychological Science, Benefiting Society
This is part of our ongoing series of blog posts about race, racism and law enforcement in communities of color. By Erlanger “Earl” Turner, PhD, (Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Houston-Downtown) and students from his Multicultural Psychology course (Damaurriah Butler, Jonathan Otero, & Caroline Smith) In the United States, race relations has had its challenges […]
This is part of our ongoing series of blog posts about race, racism and law enforcement in communities of color. By April D. Thames, PhD (Assistant Professor, University of California Los Angeles) National media coverage of various troubling incidents have sparked outrage and forced the conversation of race relations and biases within the justice system against individuals of […]
By Gwendolyn P. Keita, PhD (Executive Director, APA Public Interest Directorate) The shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed African American teenager, at the hands of a police officer has led to outrage and continuing civil unrest in Ferguson, MO. These events are emblematic of the fraught and often problematic interactions that communities of color have […]
By Efua Andoh (APA Public Interest Directorate Communications Staff) The horrific shootings in Isla Vista, California on May 23 have given rise to a complex conversation on social media. The shooter’s disturbing YouTube videos and manifesto contained racist and misogynist rants revealing an attitude of male sexual entitlement and white male supremacy. Shockingly, after they came […]
By Alfiee Breland-Noble, PhD, MHSc (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center) Karyn Washington’s unfortunate and untimely passing offers an opportunity for us to reflect on African American women, depression and suicide. In early April 2014, Ms. Karyn Washington took her life after what appears to be a long standing battle with depression. This […]
By Lisa Bowleg, PhD (Professor of Applied Social Psychology, George Washington University) “What does unemployment have to do with HIV risk?” I might have naively asked that question when I began my career as an applied social psychologist and HIV prevention researcher 15 years ago. Because the individual is typically the unit of analysis in […]
By Silvia L. Mazzula, PhD (Asst. Professor of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY). Dr. Mazzula is also the President-Elect of the Latino Psychological Association of New Jersey. Last month marked the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and across the U.S., many Americans proclaimed that Dr. […]
By Thema Bryant-Davis, PhD (Psychologist and Associate Professor, Pepperdine University) The shooting and killing of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African American teenager, by George Zimmerman, a bicultural (White and Latino) male has sparked large discussions and protests. Mr. Zimmerman’s acquittal has spurred even more controversy and debates about the realities of racism and racial profiling, including […]
By Efua Andoh (Public Interest Communications Staff) On August 28, tens of thousands of Americans from every walk of life gathered to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial. Various speakers, including Presidents Carter, Clinton and Obama, gave stirring speeches reflecting on the legacy left by Dr. King and those intrepid marchers via […]
By Efua Andoh (Public Interest Communications Staff) With the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington approaching, we interviewed Henry Tomes, PhD, an esteemed psychologist who was the first African American to receive a PhD from Penn State University and the former Executive Director for APA’s Public Interest Directorate. Dr. Tomes reflected on the […]
Psychology Benefits Society 