Wednesday, July 03, 2019

Dr. Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck

As of last week, Marijuana Pepsi is now Dr. Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck.

After a life spent being mocked for having an unusual name, the 46-year-old seized on her experience to earn a Ph.D. in higher education leadership.

For her dissertation, titled Black Names in White Classrooms: Teacher Behaviors and Student Perceptions, Vandyck interviewed students and concluded that participants "with distinctly black names" were subject to disrespect, stereotypes and low academic and behavioral expectations.  This resulted in strained relationships, changes in future career choices and self-esteem issues, spelling fewer educational and economic opportunities for students of color.

-- Ari Shapiro on NPR's All Things Considered, 22 June 2019

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