Sankofa Community Affairs – @TheABPsi Association of Black Psychologists

The Association of Black Psychologists was founded in San Francisco in 1968 by a number of Black Psychologists from across the country. They united to actively address the serious problems facing Black Psychologists and the larger Black community. Guided by the principle of self determination, these psychologists set about building an institution through which they could address the long neglected needs of Black professionals. Their goal was to have a positive impact upon the mental health of the national Black community by means of planning, programs, services, training, and advocacy.

Their objectives were:

To organize their skills and abilities to influence necessary change

To address themselves to significant social problems affecting the Black community
and other segments of the population whose needs society has not fulfilled.

The Association of Black Psychologists has grown from a handful of concerned professionals into an independent, autonomous organization of over 1400 members.

OUR MISSION

The Association of Black Psychologists sees its mission and destiny as the liberation of the African Mind, empowerment of the African Character, and enlivenment and illumination of the African Spirit.

PURPOSE

The Association is organized to operate exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, including but not limited to:

promoting and advancing the profession of African Psychology
influencing and affecting social change; and
developing programs whereby psychologists of African descent (hereafter known as Black Psychologists) can assist in solving problems of Black communities and other ethnic groups.
To accomplish these purposes, the Board of Directors (hereafter known as "the board") shall exercise the following specific functions:

establish a central organization of Black Psychologists;

develop funding sources for working capital, staff support, and educational programs;

seek funding for projects involving Black Psychologists, such projects to include, but not be limited to: Scholarly Journals, Training Programs, Recruitment of Students and Faculty and community Mental Health Care Programs; and

work with such organizations of behavioral scientists as are able to implement the purposes of The Association.