Spelman College, B.A., Psychology
Howard University, M.S., Psychology
Howard University Ph.D., Social Psychology

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

My initial work centered on prejudice and discrimination, traditional core topics of social psychology aimed at understanding constructs, that, unfortunately, have always been a part of human society. My work in the area of prejudice and discrimination includes:
Anger and prejudice: Black women’s affective reactions to racism and sexism. The findings supported the hypothesis that state anger would be present following perceived racist and sexist situations. Further, the presence or absence of violence did not significantly affect the state anger, unless racism, sexism, and violence were present.

Racism and sexism as primary cause of anger response in Black women. This project involved subjects discriminated against based on multiple identities. It was found that Black women were not significantly more angered by racism than by sexism, although Black women may still perceive racism as harsher and more brutal. This work earned an outstanding scholarship award from Division 35 of the American Psychological Association.

Some examples of my study of social movements, activism and activists are:
Social activism and protest. This survey project examined the presumed decline of activist attitudes in individuals. This study found that activist attitudes had not declined significantly when compared to the activist attitudes of those people who were a part of the "protest generation."
Black political activism: implications for the counseling process. This study addressed the potential consequences of the activist personality in the counseling/therapy process, particularly when cultural mistrust is a component of the activist personality.

Social self esteem and life orientation. This research study sought to determine if high general or social self esteem was related to attitudes toward freedom and solidarity. This study also examined the relationship between trait anger, anger expression and attitudes toward freedom and solidarity. This research involved the use of the Current Life Orientation Scale (CLOS), an instrument in development by one of my mentors and professors, Dr. Serge Madhere of Howard University.

Social action and Black women of the protest generation at mid-life: Issues of participation, effect orientation and impact. This dissertation attempted to assess type of participation in, level of impact from, and the personal meaning of two major social protest movements. Significant findings included: a positive relationship between level of impact and type of participation in both the Civil Rights and the Women’s Movement; the collective effort groups rated the level of impact significantly higher than the individual effort groups. Collective effort participants also reported more societal than psychological effects, but only for the Civil Rights Movement. Further, Black women rated the impact of the Civil Rights Movement as greater than that impact of the Women’s Movement. While there was no difference in the number of psychological effects mentioned for the Civil Rights and Women’s Movements, Black women reported more societal effect resulting from the Civil Rights Movement than from the Women’s Movement.

My research has potential for interdisciplinary collaboration as the effects inform a wide range of phenomena in other disciplines including, but not limited to sociology, African studies, and women’s studies. Taken together, my work tries not just to examine critical social issues, but to stumble on something of use that can be applied to the better planet so many individuals yearn for; long for; have died for. It is my belief that the study of these problems can provide insight that supports better modes of being and acting in the world. My goal has been to study and learn, but also to prepare to apply.
 

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS:

TEACHING INTERESTS:

Traditionally, my own teaching has been grounded in the beliefs that 1) learning is a cooperative and active experience; 2) learning is circular, not linear; 3) environment and expectation have the potential to focus learning; and 4) learning manifests itself in multitudinous ways.

CURRENTLY TEACHING:

Psychology of Women (PY 320)
Psychology of the Black Child (PY 413)