A Mind Is A Terrible Thing to
Waste

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Perspectives
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Euro-American Value
Culturally Biased
Afriphobic
Dismissive of Africa
Scientifically racist

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African American experience is quite different.
Black psychologist look to worldviews or social realities as an explanation of the disparities among the ethnicities.

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“Black psychology and the psychology of Blackness reflect an attempt to build a conceptual model that organizes, explains, and leads to understanding the psychological behavior of African-
Americans based on the primary dimensions of an African-American world view.”

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Traditional – apply European norms in analyzing Black behavior.
Reformist – adapt conventional thought to conform to African American “experience with little regard for African foundations.”
Radical – African ethos is the way to analyze
Black behavior independent of European theory. It includes “African religion, philosophy, spiritualism, ritualism, concept of time, and worldview as the foundation of
Black psychology.”

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Africans
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Nature – seek harmony and unity
Person – seek collectivism
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Relationships – seek to work with others in an egalitarian way
Religion – spiritual
Transformation -rituals
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Europeans
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Nature – dominance and control
Person – seek individualism
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Relationships – seek to dominate others through hierarchy
Religion – rational
Transformation -aggression

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Rhythm
Oral tradition
Soul
Extended self
Natural
Survival of the group

Slavery and Racism

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Slavery lasted for more than 300 years
Emancipation was proclaimed about
140 years ago.
Legalized segregation ended only about
50 years ago.
Attitudes and feelings still persist.

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“Slavery was an enduring form of torture of the minds, bodies and souls of Africans.”

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The effects of slavery on the African was pervasive. The enslaved were:
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Brainwashed
Afflicted with self rejection and alienation
Made to fear their captors
Developed a dependency

The House Negro and the Field
Negro

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He says that there were three five steps to controlling the enslaved used by the planters:
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Establish and maintain strict discipline
Convince the African that he was inferior
Awe them with the slave holders sense of power
Persuade the bondsman to take an active interest in the slave holders well-being
Imbue a sense of helplessness within

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Na’im Akbar and Bobby Wright contend that slavery continues to have a influence on the psychology of African
Americans.
Akbar contends that certain “individual behaviors are influenced by collective factors which are historically remote.”

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Property
Work
Leadership
“Clowning”
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Personal inferiority
Community division
Family instability
Color consciousness

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Property – mixed feelings. On one hand slaves would get pleasure in destroying the slaveholders property. On the other hand blacks were attracted to these material things.
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Work – because of inadequate compensation work was punishment and therefore avoided.

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Leadership – leaders were eliminated, downplayed or coopted to serve the interest of the slave holders.
Consequently blacks became “hesitant toward strong Black leaders.”
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Unity – unity was affected by the social stratification of the field slave versus the house slave. The semi free and mulatto slaves were used to divide the community.

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Family life – families were split indiscriminately and strong family ties were discouraged.
Slaves were used as studs, multiplicity of partners was encouraged.
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Clowning – blacks were “allowed” to entertain whites as jester, clown or fool.
This accounts for the “over representation” of blacks in the entertainment industry.

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“Both slavery and colonialism causes the victims to internalize certain destructive behavioral traits or characteristics which contribute to their continued oppression long after freedom or decolonization has been achieved.”

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Most Black psychologist support the idea the racism is the source of social dysfunction, aberrant behavior and cultural alienation and continue to impact the mental health of
African Americans.
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“Racism is the abstract component of physical racial slavery.”

The Mental Health Dilemma

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Most Black psychologist argue that the
European model for psychology is not adaptable to Black behavior, personality, and mental functions.

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Worldview
Self Perception
Perception of others
Vocation
Education
Religious Preference
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Outlook on life
Perspective on
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Money
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Material
Relationships
Self potential
Government
Authority

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“. . . racism and racial antagonism cause
African Americans to an undue amount of depression, stress, anger and hypertension.”
Improper coping mechanisms can lead to social and biological problems.
Although there may be many factors which lead to depression, including some biological ones, it is logical to think that racism and discrimination may play a role in it.

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“Race and color more than any other factors, determines the collective quality of life, achievement potential, health and lifechances of African Americans.”
Even in the face of this African Americans manage to develop positive coping mechanisms and very often push themselves to achieve to disprove the stereotype.

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However the tremendous drive to succeed may itself contribute to depression, anger, alienation, etc.

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The goal of Black psychologist is to understand Blacks and provide means by which they can develop healthy psychological functioning.

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Cross outline five stages of Blacks from weak Negro to strong positive self image.
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Pre-encounter
Encounter
Immersion-Emersion
Internalization
Internalization-Commitment

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Pre-encounter – Devoid of any black frame of reference. Embraces all things European and is Afriphobic
Encounter – The person encounters a racial incident which moves that person to explore her Blackness.
Immersion/emersion – The person become immersed in anything and everything black.
She adopts black clothes, hairstyle, speech and mannerisms.

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Internalization – She becomes comfortable with her new Black identity. She thinks and acts Black.
Internalization/commitment – At this stage she has committed herself to being Black consciously. She is not only culturally sure but “politically committed towards the eradication of racial injustice and irresponsibility.

A Proposed Remedy for the Black
Psyche Overly Exposed to Racism

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Noted African
American scholar puts forth a Black
Psychology that uses African
Philosophy as its model.
 http://pzacad.pitzer.edu/~hfairchi/phoabpsi.html

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People are part of nature; the natural rhythm of life
Collective effort is the survival of the tribe

http://www.welltempered.net/adinkra/htmls/adinkra/gyen.htm
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Philosophy and Religion
Notion of Unity
Concept of Time
Death and Immortality
Kinship and Collective Unity

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There exists a strong relationship between philosophy and religion.
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Collective consciousness
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Oral traditions http://dickinsg.intrasun.tcnj.edu/diaspora/religion_photos.html
http://home.concepts-ict.nl/~kimmerle/ceabaluyamask.jpg

http://www.welltempered.net/adinkra/htmls/adinkra/nkon.htm
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Human beings are part of nature.
Humans are the center but not apart from others (animals, plants and natural phenomena).
http://www.balibamboofurniture.com/african/africa-unity.htm

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Time is present and past. Time is also event conscious as opposed to number conscious. Two
Swahili words:
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Sasa – present
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Zamani – past http://www.welltempered.net/adinkra/htmls/adinkra/sank.htm
http://www.africanbeatsart.com/Danny_page4.htm

http://www.welltempered.net/adinkra/htmls/adinkra/owuo-atwedee.htm
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Death was part of the rhythm of life.
After one died one lived as long as one was remembered and recognized by those who knew the person.
http://www.overberginfo.com/marusa_mason/glimpse_of_life_and_death.htm
http://www.welltempered.net/adinkra/htmls/adinkra/nyawu.htm

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Kinship controlled all relations in the community and included animals, plants and non-living objects.
http://dpicg.com/joan_beech/chapters/chapter_14.html
http://www.welltempered.net/adinkra/htmls/adinkra/esen.htm

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African American community is
Experiential community
Africans do not go for the mind/body split where the body is bad and the mind is good.