Black psychology facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Black psychology, also known as African-American psychology, is a scientific field. It studies how people of African descent understand and experience the world. This field grew because traditional Western psychology often didn't fully understand Black people's experiences. Black psychology combines ideas from Black studies and traditional psychology. It offers its own ways of understanding the world.

This field helps improve the well-being of people of African descent. It does this by creating more accurate knowledge about them. Black psychology has helped develop new ways of doing research and therapy that are specific to Black people. It also points out mistakes in older psychological ideas. The field works to increase fairness and celebrate the achievements of Black people.

What is Black Psychology?

The exact definition of Black psychology is still discussed. But generally, it's about studying the thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and beliefs of people of African descent.

Some experts, like William David Smith and Halford Fairchild, say it's any effort to understand Black experiences. Others, like Joseph Baldwin and Na'im Akbar, define it more specifically. They see it through the lens of African philosophy and heritage.

Here are some important definitions:

Joseph Baldwin/Kobi Kambon: Black psychology is a system of knowledge based on African ways of seeing the world. It helps uncover and use principles of African reality in psychology.
Na'im Akbar: African Psychology is a perspective or a way of observing. It comes from the historical view of humanity from the land of Africa.
Halford Fairchild: African American psychology is the knowledge that helps us understand African American life and culture. It looks at the mental, physical, and spiritual parts of humanity.
Robert Chrisman: Black Psychology studies the behavior of Black people in a challenging social environment. It aims to create proper ways to analyze the Black experience.

History of Black Psychology

Ancient African Wisdom

Black psychology today is influenced by old African ideas. Its roots can be found in Ancient Egypt, also called Kemet (around 3400-600 BCE). Early thinkers in Kemet focused on developing one's consciousness and building good relationships.

The Idea of Ma'at

A key idea from this time was Ma'at. It meant how a person's thoughts, feelings, and actions fit with truth. Ma'at was a code of conduct with seven main virtues:

Truth
Justice
Righteousness
Harmony
Order
Balance
Propriety

These virtues were important for healthy relationships and a strong community. Ma'at was believed to guide both humans and gods. It simply meant doing the right thing.

There are also seven principles of Ma'at:

There is only one universal order.
There is one cosmic order.
There is only one measure.
There is one cosmic law before all spiritual laws.
There is only one intelligence.
There is only one path.
There is only one reality.

These principles include 42 divine principles, similar to the Ten Commandments. They show what is considered acceptable behavior and highlight the importance of unity.

Understanding the Psyche (Soul)

Ancient Kemetic beliefs divided the psyche, or soul, into seven parts:

KA: The physical structure of a person's humanity.
BA: The "breath of life" from the Creator.
KHABA: Emotion and natural rhythm.
AKHU: The ability to think and perceive mentally.
SEB: The "eternal soul" that develops around adolescence.
PUTAH: The connection between the brain and the conscious mind.
ATMU: The divine or eternal soul.

These parts are connected and show how humans interact with the Divine, which is a key part of many African beliefs.

Growth of the Field

After the Civil War, education became very important in the Black community. Many learning centers and colleges opened. These included Lincoln University (1854), Fisk University (1865), Howard University (1867), and Spelman College (1881). By 1940, there were over 100 Black colleges in the southern states.

The first African American man to get a PhD in psychology was Francis Sumner in 1920. The first African American woman was Inez Beverly Prosser in 1933. Many top universities did not offer Black students PhD opportunities in psychology until much later.

Howard University became a very important place for psychology. Francis Sumner, often called the "Father of Black Psychology," built a strong program there. He taught many different psychology topics. This program prepared students for professional careers and graduate studies.

However, by the late 1930s, only a few Black colleges offered a full psychology degree. Psychology courses were often part of education departments. This meant a focus on how psychology could be used in teaching.

There were also challenges with Black students and white teachers. Sometimes, cultural differences led to misunderstandings. For example, a teacher might over-explain things because they didn't recognize a Black student's quiet nods as understanding.

Graduate Studies

Between 1920 and 1970, Black colleges helped over 1,300 students earn bachelor's degrees who later got doctorates in psychology. But getting a PhD was hard. Many Black students were not accepted into white southern schools. They often had to go north for their education. Clark University was one of the few schools that graduated many Black scholars.

Money was also a big problem. Tuition, living costs, and other expenses made it hard for many to continue their studies. Because of these challenges, only eight Black candidates received doctorates in psychology from the ten most famous universities between 1920 and 1966.

Black psychologists are important for dealing with race-related issues in America. They see themselves as agents of social change.

Challenging Harmful Ideas

Historically, psychology was influenced by fields like anthropology and biology. These fields sometimes promoted scientific racism. This was the idea that people could be ranked by race, with Black people at the bottom.

For example, phrenology studied skull shape and size. It wrongly concluded that Black people's brains were smaller and less capable. Other scientists claimed Black people's facial structures were more "ape-like." These false ideas led to the belief that Westerners were better physically and mentally.

Psychology also adopted ideas like Darwin's theory of evolution and Galton's ideas about inherited intelligence. This led to a focus on inherited traits. It also spread negative stereotypes about Black people, especially about intelligence. Psychologists like George Oscar Ferguson wrongly concluded that Black children were less intelligent than White children. This approach ignored other factors, like stereotype threat, that can affect test results.

Black psychologists like Robert V. Guthrie argued that psychology was mostly developed from a White perspective. The ideas from this perspective were then applied to Black people. But because Black psychology comes from an African philosophy, many of these ideas didn't fit Black people. Also, much psychological research was done only on Western populations. This led to ideas that didn't apply to the rest of the world.

This "White framework" often made Black attitudes and behaviors seem "wrong" or "sick" if they weren't like White people's. This had bad effects on the lives and well-being of Black people. Because of these harmful ideas, many important Black psychologists started the Association of Black Psychologists. They wanted to explore psychology differently and develop Black psychology as its own field.

Main Ideas and Theories

Black psychology has many important ideas and theories. Kevin Cokley and Rayma Garba, in their 2018 article, explain three main ways Black psychology has grown. These ways show how Black psychology has challenged old beliefs about Black behavior and culture.

Deconstructionist Approach

This approach focuses on finding and breaking down wrong ideas and mistakes that traditional psychology has spread. For example, Robert V. Guthrie's book, Even the Rat Was White, exposed false ideas and celebrated overlooked Black psychologists.

The Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) used this approach to address problems. These included too few Black psychologists in higher education and the American Psychological Association (APA) not paying enough attention to racism. They asked the APA to include more African Americans in their programs and to re-examine their tests that were unfair to Black youth.

This approach also works to change how psychological research on Black people is seen. It helps create therapy methods that fit African thought and tradition. These methods aim to help Black people overcome challenges like the "school to prison pipeline" and high infant mortality rates.

Reconstructionist Approach

This method focuses on fixing errors in traditional, Eurocentric psychology. It aims to create more culturally sensitive models for Black people. It looks at ideas like Black self-concept, racial identity, and cultural mistrust.

Reconstructionists argue that the Black self-concept should not be based on Eurocentric ideas. Instead, it should be defined separately. Some, like Wade Nobles, believe it should center on African worldviews, such as communalism (focusing on community).

This approach also highlights the importance of Black racial identity development. It rejects Eurocentric ideas of identity. William E. Cross Jr. proposed a well-known model called the Nigrescence theory for Black racial identity.

Lastly, this approach examines how racism affects interactions between Black and White people. Black psychologists like Arthur Whaley and Francis and Sandra Terrell used the term cultural mistrust. This replaced the older term cultural paranoia. Cultural mistrust describes how Black people have learned to distrust White Americans because of years of unfair treatment. They argued that "paranoia" was not the right word and supported Eurocentric norms.

Constructionist Approach

This approach sees Black Psychology as a field based on an African worldview. It is distinct and separate from Eurocentric Psychology. Afrocentric psychologists create new ways of thinking and practicing that match African values. They aim to improve the well-being of African people and fight against social, economic, and political unfairness.

This Afrocentric approach emphasizes that people of African descent have the power to create their own cultural knowledge. This knowledge helps them survive unfair treatment and thrive outside of it. Important Black psychologists in this area include Linda James Myers, Kobi Kambon, Shawn Utsey, James M. Jones, Na'im Akbar, and Cheryl T. Grills.

Organizations

In 1968, the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) was formed. This happened because the American Psychological Association was not paying enough attention to African American psychologists. In 1974, the ABPsi started its own journal, The Journal of Black Psychology. This journal focuses on understanding the experiences and behavior of African American people. It covers many areas of psychology, like counseling, clinical, social, and educational psychology.

In 2014, Therapy for Black Girls was created. This online space helps Black women and girls with their mental wellness. It makes mental health topics easier to understand by using pop culture examples.

The National Queer and Trans Therapists of America started in 2016. It helps mental health professionals connect and learn about healing justice. It also helps Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPoC) find care. It works to improve mental health for queer and trans people of color in North America.

Important People in Black Psychology

Founders of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi)

Aubrey Spencer Escoffery: A founding member of ABPsi.
Robert V. Guthrie: A founder of ABPsi, known for his book Even the Rat was White: A Historical View of Psychology.
Reginald Lanier Jones: A clinical psychologist and founding member of ABPsi.
Wade Nobles: A philosopher and psychologist who focused on African-centered education and healing. He was also a founder of ABPsi.
Joseph White
Robert Lee Williams II: He did important research on unfairness in IQ testing and created the term Ebonics. He was also a founding member of ABPsi.
Other founders include: Joseph Akward, Calvin Atkinson, J. Don Barnes, Sylvia O'Bradovich, Ronald Brown, Ed Davis, Harold Dent, Jim DeShields, Russ Evans, George Franklin, Al Goines, Robert Green, Bill Harvey, Thomas Hilliard, Mary Howar, George Jackson, Walter Jacobs, Roy Jones, Luther Kindall, Mel King, De Lorise Minot, Lonnie Mitchell, Jane Fort Morrison, Leon Nicks, Edwin Nichols, Bill Pierce, David Terrell, Charles Thomas, Mike Ward, Samuel Winslow.

Early Contributors

Daudi Ajani Ya Azibo: An expert in African-centered psychology. He created the Azibo Nosology, a system for diagnosing mental disorders based on African personality theory.
Ruth Winifred Howard Beckham: One of the first African American women to earn a PhD in psychology.
John Henry Brodhead: Seen as an African-American pioneer in psychology.
Kenneth Clark: The first Black president of the American Psychological Association. He is known for his work with his wife, Mamie Phipps Clark, on the famous doll experiment.
Oran Wendle Eagleson: A psychology professor at Spelman College. He was the eighth Black person in the U.S. to get a doctorate in psychology.
Frantz Fanon: A political thinker who focused on the psychological effects of colonization. He developed a model for community-based psychology.
Ruth Graves King: The first woman president of the Association of Black Psychologists.
Francis Cecil Sumner: The first African American to receive a PhD in psychology. He is often called the "Father of Black Psychology."
Charles Henry Thompson: The first African American to get a doctoral degree in educational psychology.
Charles W. Thomas: The first president of the Association of Black Psychologists.
John Egbeazien Oshodi: A clinical forensic psychologist who is a leading figure in African-centered psychology. He developed the theory of Psychoafricalysis.
Joseph White: Widely known as the "Godfather of Black Psychology." He was one of the first African Americans to earn a PhD in psychology at Michigan State University. He helped many students of color and worked for educational reform.

African-Centered Psychologists and Philosophers

Na'im Akbar: A clinical psychologist known for his Afro-centric approach. He criticizes the Eurocentric approach to mental illness.
Molefi Kete Asante: An African-American professor and philosopher, a leading figure in African studies.
Kwame Gyekye: A Ghanaian philosopher important in developing African Psychology.
John Samuel Mbiti: A Kenyan-born Christian philosopher who studied African ways of seeing the universe.
Niara Sudarkasa: An Africanist and anthropologist. She was the first African American woman to teach at Columbia.

Notable African-American Psychologists

James Arthur Bayton: Researched personality, race, social issues, and consumer psychology.
Albert Sidney Beckham: A pioneering psychologist who helped understand differences in racial intelligence scores.
Faye Belgrave: Her work focuses on culture to help African-American youth. She wrote African American Psychology: From Africa to America.
Nancy Boyd-Franklin: Author of books on ethnicity and family therapy. She developed home and community-based therapies for African-American families.
Herman George Canady: The first psychologist to study how the race of the examiner could bias IQ tests.
Mamie Phipps Clark: She did the famous Doll Study and helped in the Brown vs. Board of Education cases.
Kevin Cokley: Former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Black Psychology. He has written many articles on racial identity and academic achievement.
Beverley Greene: A clinical psychologist who has written many articles on race and gender in psychology.
Cheryl Grills: Former president of the American Association of Black Psychologists. She has contributed greatly to African-American psychology research.
Janet Helms: Known for her study of ethnic minority issues, especially her racial identity theory.
Linda James Myers: Professor of African-American Psychology. She is known for criticizing traditional, Euro-centric psychology.
Helen A. Neville: A psychology professor who has written many articles on race, racism, and racial identity.
Frederick Payne Watts: A clinical psychologist who wrote two important books for Black psychology.
Howard Emery Wright: An African-American social psychologist and educator. He studied attitude testing.

Images for kids

Francis Cecil Sumner.jpg

Francis Cecil Sumner, the "Father of Black Psychology"
Inez Beverly Prosser.jpg

Inez Beverly Prosser, the first African American woman to earn a PhD in psychology