5.5: Futurity

Introduction

As Dr. Karenga stated, “the mission of Black Studies stressed three basic areas of focus: cultural grounding, academic excellence, and social responsibility.” ^_[71] Within these three categories, Black Psychology provides many future opportunities for those who will contribute to the field and those who will benefit from these contributions such as BIPOC populations. By addressing the unique psychological needs and experiences of these communities, Black Psychology plays a crucial role in advancing both academic scholarship and social justice efforts.

Cultural Grounding in Black Psychological Concepts

As elaborated on in this chapter, Black Psychology challenges Eurocentric norms of psychological understanding and explanations of Black behavior. This has manifested in the creation of various Black Psychology theories informed by Afrocentric ideologies including an understanding of the effects of systemic oppression on Black bodies and minds. Practitioners have then taken these Afrocentric ideologies and created mental health treatments that are trauma informed, culturally responsive, holistic in approach, utilize the power of cultural ancestral memories, address mental health stigma, build empowerment/advocacy and ultimately address the needs of BIPOC populations. Taking into account various aspects of an individual's racial identity, history, and experiences, one example of this type of therapy could look like Dr. Shena Young’s specialty as a Trauma Informed Body Centered Psychologist through her practice Embodied Truth and Healing Psychological Services. As a published author and a practicing clinician she offers healing in body, mind, heart and spirit from sexual, racial, intergenerational, and ancestral traumas. This is just one example and please know that there are many other specialties in the field of Black Psychology that include these cultural elements to create a therapeutic safe space. In essence, therapy specializing in multigenerational trauma from a Black Psychology perspective recognizes the profound impact of historical and systemic multigenerational traumas on individuals and communities. Through tapping into cultural heritage, Black Psychology aims to promote collective healing, illuminate resilience, and facilitate empowerment by acknowledging cultural ancestral roots, addressing trauma, destigmatizing mental health, and fostering a holistic sense of well-being. This approach respects and honors the unique experiences and strengths of Black ancestors, Black individuals and the Black community.

Academic Excellence and Continued Research and Publication

The focus on decolonizing the field of psychology to make space for more inclusive research and diverse publications is the reason why Black Psychology created the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) in 1968 which published the Journal of Black Psychology. Since then many other adjacent categories of psychological journals have been created that focus their studies on various populations following Black Psychology's footsteps. One of the major contributions to the field of psychology is that it pioneered carving out these spaces in the discipline for other ethnic and cultural perspectives to be validated and studied. These journals include but are not limited to The Journal of LatinX Psychology, The Asian American Journal of Psychology and The Journal of Indigenous Research. These journals promote research that is specific to the experiences and needs of these populations while breaking free from traditional psychological paradigms. Lastly, other types of psychology are cross pollinated within Black Psychology such as Liberation Psychology which focuses on freedom from oppression. This would include the publications of Brazilian scholar Paulo Friere, who focused much of his work on the Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Fanonian Psychology also could be considered a liberation psychology as Black Frenchman Frantz Fanon’s focus was anticolonialism, racism and political consciousness in order to free the people from the proverbial shackles of enslavement. Overall, the initiatives within Black Psychology and the subsequent expansion into other subcategories of psychology journals have played a crucial role in diversifying and decolonizing the field of psychology. These efforts have enriched our understanding of human behavior and mental processes by recognizing and valuing the experiences and perspectives of diverse populations and by challenging oppressive structures and ideologies.

Social Responsibility Focusing on Black Mental Health

When considering Black Psychology’s connection to social responsibility, much has been done to move forward the agenda of creating structural organizations with the mission of addressing Black mental health. For example, the Black Woman’s Health Initiative mission is to improve the physical, mental and financial lives of Black Women and girls across the United States. Also, a Black woman-led initiative called Black Mammas Matter (BMM) addresses the epidemic of Black infant mortality and the care of Black mothers given their maternal health disparities. The Black Emotional Awareness Mental Health Collective (BEAM) mission is to help the Black community heal by utilizing the Healing Justice Framework, providing emotional health care and healing via education, training, advocacy, and the creative arts. Harvard graduate, psychologist and professor Dr. Phillip Atiba Solomon co-founded The Center for Policing Equality (CPE) which is an organization in Colorado that fights bias in the police system by providing evidence-based resources to reduce racial disparities in policing practices. Lastly, the purpose of The Black Men’s Health Project is to illuminate the health needs of Black men and to provide data supporting culturally competent solutions and strategies that improve these health outcomes. There are several organizations locally and nationwide that have organized to support the Black community, address health needs and improve the overall quality of life for Black people. These organizations play a crucial role in fighting systemic historical disparities that disproportionately affect the Black community. Their missions align with the principles of social responsibility and social justice, working to create a more equitable and inclusive society for all.

Conclusion

The fact that Black Psychology exists is an act of subversive liberation from the confines of the rather limited monolithic psychological understandings of diverse populations. This introductory chapter has provided a general understanding of Black Psychology by defining historical concepts, foundational theories and conceptual frameworks of Black Psychology. It has strived to explain and expand the understanding of the Black experience from an Afrocentric worldview while giving historical context to the founders of the field. With its focus on building a strong sense of self through exploring African and African American concepts of identity, Black Psychology strives to be a strong foundational base to understand oneself from and build upon. To help explain the Black experience, we have analyzed the various Afrocentric theories of Black Psychology as they apply to the African American collective experiences’ intersection with social systems in the United States. Thus, the chapter concluded with examining how contemporary Black psychological concepts affect the mental health of the African American community in the United States. Conclusively, Black Psychology has provided many opportunities for Black psychologists to conduct research and create resources to help strengthen the Black community but there is still a need for more diversity in the field of mental health. The strength and resilience of the Black community as a whole is grounded in the experiences of African Americans and Blacks in the diaspora. These communities can continue to enhance their strength and resilience by applying Black Psychology concepts and frameworks to the therapeutic space and to their own individual lives. This will continue to strengthen the Black community by providing agency because the solutions for the struggles of the Black community exist within the Black community. As Dr. Hilliard implied in true Afrocentric fashion, freeing the mind from mental enslavement involves taking ownership of the Black experience and challenging the beliefs and patterns of thought which control those in the Black community which in and of itself is an act of social justice.

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Endnotes

[71] Maulana Karenga, Introduction to Black Studies, 3rd ed. (Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press, 2002), 29–30.