Profiles in Black: Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt (b. 1965)

Anita Debro

Profiles in Black: Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt (b. 1965)

Jennifer Eberhardt’s research into racial bias and its effects on outcomes in criminal justice has real world impact and implications. Eberhardt, a social psychologist, has linked deeply imbedded stereotypes of blacks with harsher sentencing and a greater likelihood of being identified as criminals by police officers.

Eberhardt’s study of bias began when she was a graduate student at Harvard University, but has said her fascination with race took root during her childhood.  She grew up in a working class family who lived in a predominantly white neighborhood in Cleveland.

The Stanford University professor stands at the forefront of criminal justice reform, using her research as a teaching tool for law enforcement and others in the legal system.

In 2016, Eberhardt and her team  began a study into the Oakland (Calif.) Police Department, looking at thousands of police interactions. The research found significant differences in how police treated black residents. Among those differences, the study showed Oakland police were four times more likely to search black men compared to white men during a traffic stop. The researchers recommended 50 policy changes based on the findings, many of which were implemented by the Oakland Police Department.

Eberhardt has also used her findings to shine a spotlight on the police shootings of black suspects. She also works with law enforcement agencies in developing programs to improve policing and to help build and maintain trust with the communities they serve.

Eberhardt received the MacArthur Genius Award in 2014 for her groundbreaking work, and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2016.