The purpose of my project is to illustrate how Dr. Beverley Greene’s contributed to our contemporary understanding of minorities’ and women’s problems and traumas. In the introduction, the audience will be provided some context on modern trends within these areas in order to trace how these ideas originated with Dr. Greene. Within the last twenty years, much of mainstream online discourse has been devoted to exploring the complexities of ethnic, national, racial, and gender identity. The democratization of information facilitated by the Internet and rise of online forums have enabled marginalized people to raise public awareness of their struggles, as evidenced by the popularity of Black Lives Matter. The works of academics such as Dr. Greene have given these communities the vocabulary and theoretical framework to conceptualize and contextualize their personal experiences within the broader system of social inequality.
Background
Dr. Beverley Greene is one of the prominent feminist leaders that influenced our modern understanding of some crucial aspects such as sexism, racism and social privilege in psychology and psychotherapy (Ackerman Institute for the Family, 2019). She came from a very didactic family where her parents encouraged their kids to challenge any existing trends or stereotypes about people and that people are, in fact, complicated living beings. Of course, professional training played a crucial role in her path to becoming a successful writer and practicing psychologist. Thus, during her graduate years at the Dern Institute, where she was influenced by her mentor Dr. Bill Johnson, Dr. Greene expanded her interest to the psychodynamic and psychoanalytic understanding of marginalized people, especially among women.
Dr. Greene’s further career was shaped by her graduate school experience. It allowed her to assess her patients in a novel way and have a fruitful career reporting on scientific journals. Furthermore, analyzing Dr. Greene’s impact on the development of psychology, one quickly notices that there has been a serious advance in understanding the people who are multiply marginalized. Nevertheless, despite all the contributions to global psychology, Dr. Greene keeps working on one of the less-understood areas of human psychology.
Contemporary Event
Dr. Greene grew up during the 1950s and 1960s, the height of the civil rights movement that aimed to abolish segregation, discrimination, and the disenfranchisement of black people in post-slavery America. She legally became an adult in 1968, the same year that Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. At the time of his death, King was the most famous and visible spokesmen of the civil rights movement and a proponent of nonviolence and civil disobedience. Inspired by the example of Gandhi protesting British imperialism in India, he led peaceful marches and boycotts for black peoples’ right to vote, desegregation, and labor rights.
The story of King’s assassination broke the following day on the front page of the New York Times. King was in a motel, bending over a railing to chat with a friend in the parking lot when a shot unexpectedly rang out (Caldwell, 1968). King toppled to the floor with blood gushing from his neck and right jaw and died in the hospital after emergency surgery. The friend he was talking to reported that police immediately flooded the area “from where the shot came”; the words indicated that the police were either complicit or responsible in his death (Caldwell, 1968). Upong learning of King’s death, fellow activist Carmichael stated that it was a signal that “white America [has] declared war on [black people]” (Cokley, 2018). The following weeks were defined by race riots and urban rebellion in 125 cities, as well as general national disillusionment with the white establishment (Joseph, 2018). King’s death was a definitive moment in the country’s history that still has reverberations today.
King’s assassination undoubtedly influenced Dr. Greene’s work on racial issues and intersectional identity. King remains a national icon of civil rights that believed that America could “transform itself through collective sacrifice, political struggle, and spiritual renewal” (Joseph, 2018). It has been claimed that the event was a life-altering moment that propelled black people into becoming more politically active and less dependent on white leadership (Cokley, 2018). Increased political activism and belief in America’s transformative potential was the general atmosphere of 1970s post-civil rights America in which Dr. Greene began her work on racial and gender issues.
Current Social Issue
The works and theses of Dr. Greene are also reflected in contemporary events and problems. Moreover, many of the topics and discussions raised by her are especially relevant in recent years, in connection with a number of social movements that take their roots from public resonances, disputes, and scandals. Particularly, one could think of the Black Lives Matter movement, which was boosted by a relatively recent murder of George Floyd. The violent death as a result of the police detention of African-American George Floyd gave impetus to thousands of protests, first in the United States and then in other countries. Most importantly, the incident has once again made the world question racism and the inequality it creates.
Interestingly, despite the fact that it is obvious that George Floyd was not the only victim of the police, it was he who showed the world the full horror of racism. This is due to various factors, including thanks to the video recorded by an eyewitness, which showed the calmness of the victim and the aggression of the policeman in such a way that this could not but cause a public outcry. Following the announcement of the jury’s verdict of guilt for Floyd’s murder, US President Joe Biden said in a telephone conversation with the victim’s family that he was relieved (Jason, 2021). The White House chief also expressed hope that the verdict would be a step towards police reform. In a video address to the nation after the verdict was announced, Biden called on Americans to unite (Jason, 2021). Thus, by coincidence, America was once again confronted with signs of the problem of racism in society and the system, which it could not ignore (Jason, 2021). The dramatic nature and obviousness of the horror of the situation became effective tools in the fight against those who ignored discrimination.
Dr. Greene contributed a lot in reflecting on racism as trauma and tools to deal with it in psychology. In her interview with Lawrence Rubin, she noted that “I think the simple answer is that many people donʼt want to get it because it makes them feel uncomfortable” (Rubin, 2022). This statement is indeed very relevant to what happened with George Floyd. Many people just did not want to think about issues associated with racism before they were forced to observe the injustice in its most unpleasant way and be involved in the discussion. Dr. Greene also highlights that “Racism, despite its ubiquity, along with racist beliefs and practices, is not something people want to cop to” (Rubin, 2022). Therefore, for a psychologist, it is a challenge yet a responsibility to bring those topics up and do not be color-blinded, as race is indeed a factor that influences a lot and is associated with many emotions and feelings. In this way, movements such as BLM, especially when provoked by the dramatic event, are powerful drivers of facing reality and emotional components of race and racism.
Project Timeline
Dr. Beverley Greene is a remarkable psychologist that contributed greatly to the development of important concepts related to many minorities and genders, their trauma, emotions, and problems. To convey the role of the psychologist in the modern approach to these topics structurally, comprehensively, and timely, I will adhere to a specific timeline. The plan consists of six main milestones that will guide the preparing and writing process.
- I will complete the in-depth literature overviewing and establish a list of sources by the 7th of March.
- I will find all relevant media objects that will be used in the projects by the 10th of March.
- I will have a structured content plan for the project by the 12th of March.
- The first part on the psychologist’s background and works will be done by the 15th of March.
- The part on the social issue will take another 10 days as it is going to include most readings and investigation.
- I will write the conclusion and insights by the 20th of March.
- Another 5 days I will spend on reviewing and editing the paper.
I will stick to this timeline to meet the set deadlines.
References
Ackerman Institute for the Family (2021). Beverly Greene. Web.
Caldwell, E. (1968). Martin Luther King is slain in Memphis: A white is suspected; Johnson urges calm.The New York Times. Web.
Cokley, K. (2018). How MLK’s death changed America.Dallas News. Web.
Jason, J. (2021). The global impact of George Floyd: How Black Lives Matter protests shaped movements around the world. CBS News. Web.
Joseph, P. E. (2018). How Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination changed America 50 years ago and still affects us today.The Washington Post. Web.
Rubin, L. (2022). Beverly Greene on Race, Racism and Psychotherapy. Psychology. Web.