Racial Identity Matters: The Role of Racial Discrimination in the Psychological Well-Being of African Americans
UCLA Department of Psychology invites you to join us for a talk
Robert M. Sellers, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Equity, Inclusion, and Academic Affairs, Charles D. Moody Collegiate Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan
Racial Identity Matters: The Role of Racial Discrimination in the Psychological Well-Being of African Americans
African Americans face a myriad of challenges to their psychological well-being in a society that has traditionally devalued them because of their race. Chief among these challenges is the continued exposure to racially discriminatory events. Research findings have consistently indicated that African Americans report experiencing racial discrimination at non-trivial levels. Research has also consistently linked African Americans’ experiences with racial discrimination to a variety of deleterious academic, social, and well-being outcomes. At the same time, there is also growing evidence that many African Americans are resilient in the face of these racial challenges. African Americans’ racial identity attitudes seem to be a particularly important source of resilience. Racial identity refers to individuals’ attitudes and beliefs regarding the significance and meaning of race in individuals’ lives. The present talk will review findings from several studies related to the interplay among racial identity attitudes, racial discrimination, and well-being outcomes in African American adolescents and emerging adults. In doing so, we illustrate the importance of using a phenomenological approach to studying African Americans’ experiences of racial discrimination. The talk concludes with several prescriptions for future research in the area.
Tuesday, March 1st, 2016
4:00 – 5:00 pm
3534 Franz Hall
Reception to follow talk at 5:00 – 5:45 pm, 3435 Franz Hall
If you are interested in meeting with Professor Sellers please contact Brandi Hutchinson at bhutchinson@psych.ucla.edu or (310) 825-2898, before Thursday, February 25th, 2016.
Graduate Students – If you were interested in meeting with Prof. Sellers, there will be a meet and greet on Monday, February 29th, at 5:00 – 5:45. Please contact Brandi for more details or other options.
