AROUND THE ABPsi
Tribute to the Life of Aubrey Spencer Escoffery, Ph.D.
A Founder of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi), Celebrating his life journey—April 10, 1923—January 5, 1923 By Dr. Benson G. Cooke, ABPsi Historian Remember the wisdom of your ancestors in order to become wise.—African Proverb Background. Born April 10, 1923, in New Haven, Connecticut to his mother, Flora Jefferson […]
Pressure
Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action
By Dr. Thomas Parham I write on behalf of the national Association of Black Psychologists, Inc. (ABPsi), our President Dr. Donell Barnett, our Board of Directors, past presidents, and Council of Elders to strongly condemn and express profound disappointment and outrage at the latest Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action […]
Research Corner
WISDOMBEARERS: A Study of Proverb Use and Values Among African American Elders
By: Huberta Jackson-LowmanJustin WilliamsChrista JohnsonStephanie BarnesJasmine PlummerEarnestine RichardsonFlorida A&M University ABSTRACT This study investigated knowledge and use of proverbs, values associated with proverb use, and proverb prioritization among Afrikan American elders 60 years of age and older. Forty elders living in retirement homes in the southeastern part of the country […]
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Gratitude as Ancestral Practice
Gratitude is medicine for the nervous system. It softens contraction and opens the heart’s portal—the place where ancestors whisper and future generations listen.
Gratitude for Blackness
We live in an anti-Black/African society. Every week, we learn of cuts to educational services in the US and conflicts throughout the diaspora that threaten our existence. Despite challenges, we must remain grateful for Blackness. From the textures of our hair to the soles of our feet, being Black is […]
Family, Freedom, and the Power of Gratitude
Gratitude is often spoken of in fleeting terms, an emotion reserved for the dinner table or a holiday toast. But for many post-incarcerated Black men and women, gratitude carries a weight far greater than a polite “thank you.” It becomes a radical act of healing, a form of resistance, and […]
Nakumbuka: I remember
Nakumbuka is a Kiswahili word that means I remember. Nakumbuka is the name given to the annual day of observance for the Maafa (The African slavery holocaust). Jomo Nkombe, a Tanzanian who lived in Canada, pioneered the idea of nakumbuka as a public ritual in 1990. From early youth, Nkombe […]
Revealing the Black Skin Underneath the White Mask
Richard Philcox’s 2008 translation of Frantz Fanon’s 1952 book, Black Skin, White Masks, holds relevance for Black/Africans in America. Fanon’s words describe the post-colonial impact of race and racism in France and critique his academic studies. He demonstrates how people of African descent wear masks to manage living under the […]
Black Matrescence and Maternal Suicide: Breaking the Silence for Black Mothers
Black Matrescence and Maternal Suicide: Breaking the Silence for Black Mothers Brianna A. Baker, PhD, Postdoctoral Counseling Psychologist, CUNY School of Public Health Koree Badio, MS, Counseling Psychology Doctoral Student, University of Florida In September 2025, 31-year-old Drake Patton and her two young children were found dead in Lake Michigan. […]
Black Myths and Suicide Deaths
Growing up in Black households, some sayings linger. They persist across generations and counteract interventions that promote healing. Even though the literature states that African Americans die by suicide, there is still the myth in some households that ‘Black folks don’t kill themselves.’ I can assume various reasons for why […]
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