The American Psychological Association tapped Danielle Dickens, Ph.D., C'2009, assistant professor of psychology, to take part in their “I am Psyched!” national tour.
“The ‘I am Psyched!’ tour is a multimedia pop-up exhibit that explores the history and contributions of women of color in psychology,” said Dr. Dickens.
Dr. Dickens will participate in the panel discussion, "I am Psyched! Women of color psychologists share their successes and lessons learned," during the tour’s stop at the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Conference on June 29.
Historically, white men have dominated psychology as a discipline. Participating in the panel, according to Dr. Dickens, affords her an opportunity to encourage more students from underrepresented groups into the field, “Thus expanding the diversity of psychologists who study social problems within our society,” she said.
Dr. Dickens studies how race and racial identity intersect with gender, including how women of color navigate academia. In addition to her role at Spelman, she is co-founder of Beneath the Facade, a psycho-educational resource for Black women coping with stereotypical expectations in the workplace.
“Though a lot of advances have been made regarding the psychology of Black women and though many women of color have broken barriers, there is more work to be done,” she said.