Twitter: @jidebam Instagram: @kunleandjidesdad Dr. Mike Robinson: How can the discussion of race, poverty, and police brutality take place on college campuses when students return in the fall?
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr.: Conversations on race, poverty, and brutality absolutely must happen on college campuses in the fall, however difficult they may be. The conversations must be led by and center the voices of students, staff, and faculty who have been the most marginalized by the issues we are discussing today. That means Black students, Latinx students, and queer students must be given multiple opportunities for their voices to be heard. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for all universities because every school and campus community is different, but tangible and meaningful changes must be made by administrators in response to the needs voiced by students.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What role should colleges and universities have in addressing some of the systemic issues impacting communities of color?
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr.: Universities play a crucial role in tackling the systemic issues that negatively affect these students. But first, universities must take responsibility for the ways they promote and perpetuate systemic racism within their institutions because there is no repair without truth and accountability. Next, they must honor the debt they owe to marginalized students. Once again, that looks different at an institution, but generally speaking, universities must a) greatly expand programs to ensure that they recruit and retain far more Black and Brown students than they currently do, b) take complaints of racial and gendered violence seriously c) protect and defend students, staff, and faculty who experience racial and gendered violence, and d) deal with the mental health crisis on college campuses by hiring more mental health providers of color and more culturally competent therapists.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Institutions of higher education have always been a haven for protest, debate, discussions, how do you see this continuing when students return in the fall?
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr.: I am positive that these conversations will continue in the fall. We’ve been under quarantine and lock-down for months, yet, tens of thousands of people are still out in the streets protesting racial violence and police brutality every single day. Universities must allow students safe spaces for nonviolent protests that are free from the presence of police.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Is there a role for today’s current events in the courses you teach? And how will you incorporate these into your curriculum?
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr.: In every class, from English to Mathematics to Chemistry to Psychology, I believe there is always a place to discuss current events. As professors, it’s crucial that we integrate social justice into our courses because our job is to prepare students to be productive citizens in our society and world. In the fall, I will be teaching Health psychology and Psychology of Stress. In both courses, I discuss health disparities, a topic totally applicable to the current COVID-19 crisis. However, I also discuss other serious and preventable public health issues such as police brutality and racism.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What would you like to say to incoming and returning students before their arrival on campus?
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr.: Welcome (back) to college new and returning students! First and foremost, I am so sorry the world is the way it is right now. This is an unprecedented situation and you deserve better. However, one of the most important skills you will need to develop in your time in college is the ability to adapt to difficult situations. So, be ready to come in, learn, and be the leaders of today and tomorrow. Every single one of your voices is valuable so use the knowledge you gain in your time at college to make our country a more equitable place.
Bio
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles and the Director of the Stress, Resilience, and Health Laboratory. His research focuses on the associations between stress, resilience, mental health, and physical health in understudied populations, with an emphasis on Black and adolescent fathers. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals like Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Social Science and Medicine, and Health Psychology. He has presented his work at national conferences such as the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race (APA Div. 45), the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society of Behavioral Medicine. In 2017, he was inducted into the Edward Bouchet Graduate Honor Society and in 2018, he was selected to attend the American Psychological Association’s Minority Fellowship Program Psychology Summer Institute. He received his Ph.D. in Health Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2017 and his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Miami in 2012. He is married to Dr. Jahneille Cunningham and has two sons, Olajide III and Olakunle. In Fall 2020, he will begin as an Assistant Professor of Health Disparities in the Department of Psychology at California State University, Long Beach.
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr.: Conversations on race, poverty, and brutality absolutely must happen on college campuses in the fall, however difficult they may be. The conversations must be led by and center the voices of students, staff, and faculty who have been the most marginalized by the issues we are discussing today. That means Black students, Latinx students, and queer students must be given multiple opportunities for their voices to be heard. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for all universities because every school and campus community is different, but tangible and meaningful changes must be made by administrators in response to the needs voiced by students.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What role should colleges and universities have in addressing some of the systemic issues impacting communities of color?
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr.: Universities play a crucial role in tackling the systemic issues that negatively affect these students. But first, universities must take responsibility for the ways they promote and perpetuate systemic racism within their institutions because there is no repair without truth and accountability. Next, they must honor the debt they owe to marginalized students. Once again, that looks different at an institution, but generally speaking, universities must a) greatly expand programs to ensure that they recruit and retain far more Black and Brown students than they currently do, b) take complaints of racial and gendered violence seriously c) protect and defend students, staff, and faculty who experience racial and gendered violence, and d) deal with the mental health crisis on college campuses by hiring more mental health providers of color and more culturally competent therapists.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Institutions of higher education have always been a haven for protest, debate, discussions, how do you see this continuing when students return in the fall?
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr.: I am positive that these conversations will continue in the fall. We’ve been under quarantine and lock-down for months, yet, tens of thousands of people are still out in the streets protesting racial violence and police brutality every single day. Universities must allow students safe spaces for nonviolent protests that are free from the presence of police.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Is there a role for today’s current events in the courses you teach? And how will you incorporate these into your curriculum?
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr.: In every class, from English to Mathematics to Chemistry to Psychology, I believe there is always a place to discuss current events. As professors, it’s crucial that we integrate social justice into our courses because our job is to prepare students to be productive citizens in our society and world. In the fall, I will be teaching Health psychology and Psychology of Stress. In both courses, I discuss health disparities, a topic totally applicable to the current COVID-19 crisis. However, I also discuss other serious and preventable public health issues such as police brutality and racism.
Dr. Mike Robinson: What would you like to say to incoming and returning students before their arrival on campus?
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr.: Welcome (back) to college new and returning students! First and foremost, I am so sorry the world is the way it is right now. This is an unprecedented situation and you deserve better. However, one of the most important skills you will need to develop in your time in college is the ability to adapt to difficult situations. So, be ready to come in, learn, and be the leaders of today and tomorrow. Every single one of your voices is valuable so use the knowledge you gain in your time at college to make our country a more equitable place.
Bio
Dr. Jide Bamishigbin Jr. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles and the Director of the Stress, Resilience, and Health Laboratory. His research focuses on the associations between stress, resilience, mental health, and physical health in understudied populations, with an emphasis on Black and adolescent fathers. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals like Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Social Science and Medicine, and Health Psychology. He has presented his work at national conferences such as the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race (APA Div. 45), the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society of Behavioral Medicine. In 2017, he was inducted into the Edward Bouchet Graduate Honor Society and in 2018, he was selected to attend the American Psychological Association’s Minority Fellowship Program Psychology Summer Institute. He received his Ph.D. in Health Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2017 and his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Miami in 2012. He is married to Dr. Jahneille Cunningham and has two sons, Olajide III and Olakunle. In Fall 2020, he will begin as an Assistant Professor of Health Disparities in the Department of Psychology at California State University, Long Beach.