The American Psychological Association’s Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs invited Dr. Jude Bergkamp (AUS PsyD Program Chair & Core Faculty) to contribute to their Facing the Divide: Psychology’s Conversation on Race and Health, video series, tackling issues of race in America. In the series, Dr. Bergkamp addressed issues of institutional oppression, social privilege, and internalized aggression. The APA chose to feature prominent psychologists for this video series, arguing that “as experts on human behavior, psychologists have a unique perspective that can inform critical analysis of race relations.”
In this first installment in the series, titled “Racism in America,” Dr. Bergkamp appears at 4 minutes, 30 seconds into the 18 minute 30 second video. In the video, he explains that while resilience is important, “the responsibility for the alleviation of race-related stress is not within the individuals who experience it,” and that instead, “this is OUR problem, all of us.”
When asked about the experience of being a psychologist highlighted in this video series, Dr. Bergkamp replied, “I am honored to be a part of an important video series addressing racism in America during this critical historical time. These videos include some of the most predominant psychological thinkers providing clear insight into issues of oppression. I was humbled to be a small part of this important project.”
