Taylor McGee, a doctoral student in the educational psychology Ph.D. program, authored an article in the Journal of Black Psychology based on her master’s thesis. McGee’s article is entitled, “Racial Microaggressions and African American Undergraduates’ Academic Experiences: Preparation for Bias Messages as a Protective Resource.” Her faculty advisor who helped her with this project is Ann Kruger, Ph.D.
We asked her a couple of questions about her work:
How does this publication help with your research goals and/or interests?
While my current research agenda focuses on providing marginalized students with tools and resources to succeed in the face of obstacles, my ultimate goal is to conduct research to enact change in policies and procedures at the institutional and state level. This publication is just one step closer to that goal as it can inform practitioners and institutional programs working with African American students.
Summarize your topic:
We found when students reported receiving very few or no parental preparation for bias messages, racial microaggressions on campus were negatively related to their academic engagement. However, when students reported receiving a lot of advice from their parents about how to prepare for future racial bias, there was no relationship between experiencing on-campus racial microaggressions and their academic engagement. Preparation for bias messages served as a protective buffer against the negative effects of on-campus racial microaggressions. The results of this study can inform African American parents, parent educators, and practitioners who work with families.
Does this published item relate to anything happening in the news? If so, what?
This work is indirectly related to recent governmental bans on discussing ideas of critical race theory in public schools.