Many African American women encounter distinct historical and sociocultural challenges that impede their engagement in physical activity and mental health services because their providers are often culturally uninformed about the significance of Black hair.
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Patricia O'Brien-Richardson
Dr. O’Brien-Richardson and Dr. Williams receive team grant for Rutgers community
Patti O’Brien-Richardson Briana Bivens, Madinah Elamin, Anette Freytag, Corina Hernandez, Anthony Jones, Darnell Thompson, and Shar Williams were awarded a grant in the 2023-24 Mutual Mentoring Grant cycle. This collective was formed to build capacity for academic publishing and publicly-engaged scholarship while curating a space to cultivate research and teaching practice in the community.
How a Texas school ruling on hair spreads mental harm, even in New Jersey
Research shows that some individuals who experience prolonged incidents of racial discrimination can exhibit symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder including depression, anger, recurring thoughts of the event and physical reactions such as headaches, chest pains and insomnia.
Dr. Patti O’Brien-Richardson Presents Prioritizing Faculty Wellness
On February 8, 2024, Dr. Patti O’Brien-Richardson led a conversation on balance titled Prioritizing Faculty Wellness at the Rutgers Club. The event was hosted by Rutgers University Equity and Inclusion, Faculty Diversity Collaborative
O’Brien-Richardson presents “Rooting Out Hair Discrimination” at the Haddonfield Public Library
The library will host a virtual event from 7 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13. “Rooting Out Hair Discrimination” will explore how “hair has been used as a tool of systematic violence in America against people of African descent.” Its presenter will be Dr. Patti...
Listen for a loud classroom to find the most-engaged students
It’s natural for educators to worry that the edtech tools I bring will ratchet up the volume — and that administrators and other teachers may perceive that as lax classroom management. But many educators understand that the volume increases when students are...
Celebrating National Crown Day, addressing hair discrimination on the job
It’s an exhausting experience that often makes people question whether to wear their hair naturally. Statistics show Black women are 80% more likely than white women to feel the need to change their hair to fit in at the office, according to 2019 research by JOY...
Research: Determining if your Teaching Style is Working, and What to Do if it’s Not
Patti O’Brien-Richardson advises educators and advocates for education to keep a finger on the pulse of what engages students by paying attention to how they respond to discussions, to their peers, and to how they are teaching.
Rutgers University to Host 2022 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders
Associate Teaching Professor Patti O’Brien Richardson will co-lead the Leadership in Civic Engagement Institute with Olabode Ibironke, Department of English; and Greg Costalas, Rutgers Global.
Why the Olympics ban on Black hair swim caps is disturbing | Opinion
Diversity in swimming has always been an issue. In the United States, the overwhelming majority of swimmers are white. According to a 2019 Swimming Membership Demographics report, only 0.8% of their 327,337 swimmers were Black men, and 0.6% Black women. Although...