Association of Black Psychologists

Association of Black Psychologists

Company type	Nonprofit organization
Industry	Psychology
Founded	1968 in San Francisco, United States
Headquarters	Washington, D.C. , United States
Area served	United States
Products	Journal of Black Psychology

The Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) is a professional body established in 1968 in San Francisco with the mission of supporting African American psychologists. It maintains regional chapters throughout the United States and is responsible for publishing the Journal of Black Psychology. Based in Washington, D.C., ABPsi dedicates its efforts to promoting the professional interests of Black psychologists and enhancing mental health outcomes within African American populations.

Work

ABPsi played a pivotal role in creating Black Psychology as a distinct discipline, aiding the increasing number of African-American psychologists entering graduate education and the field itself. Through its journal, newsletter, and yearly conferences, the organization unified individual research endeavors into a comprehensive collective, resulting in hundreds of books and thousands of scholarly articles. Its ongoing mission focuses on tackling issues affecting Black communities and dispelling enduring misconceptions about black inferiority prevalent in mainstream psychology. Additionally, ABPsi has been instrumental in founding other Black professional groups, encouraging cross-disciplinary partnerships to further African-American causes. While gaining stature within conventional psychology circles, ABPsi’s foundational critiques significantly influenced the emergence of cultural psychology. More recently, ABPsi introduced certification programs in "African-centered psychology," equipping professionals to address the unique needs of individuals of African heritage.

Past presidents

Distinguished former presidents include:

• Charles W. Thomas, Ph.D. (1968–1969)
• Robert Green, Ph.D. (1968–1969)
• Henry Tomes, Ph.D. (1969–1970)
• Robert L. Williams, Ph.D. (1969–1970)
• Stanley Crockett, Ph.D. (1970–1971)
• Reginald L. Jones, Ph.D. (1971–1972)
• James S. Jackson, Ph.D. (1972–1973)
• Thomas O. Hilliard, Ph.D.(1973–1974)
• George D. Jackson, Ph.D. (1974–1975)
• William Hayes, Ph.D. (1975–1976)
• Ruth E.G. King, Ed.D (1976–1977), the first female president
• Maisha Bennett, Ph.D. (1978–1979)
• Joseph Awkard, Ph.D. (1979–1980)
• Daniel Williams, Ph.D. (1980–1981)
• David Terrell, Ph.D. (1981–1982)
• Joseph A. Baldwin, Ph.D. (1982–1983)
• William K. Lyles, Ph.D. (1983–1984)
• W. Monty Whitney, Ph.D. (1984–1985)
• Melvin Rogers, Ph.D. (1985–1986)
• Halford Fairchild, Ph.D. (1986–1987)
• Na'im Akbar, Ph.D. (1987–1988)
• Dennis E. Chestnut, Ph.D. (1988–1989)
• Suzanne Randolph, Ph.D.(1989–1990)
• Linda James Myers, Ph.D. (1990–1991)
• Timothy R. Moragne, Psy.D. (1991–1992)
• Maisha Hamilton Bennett, Ph.D. (1992–1993)
• Anna M. Jackson, Ph.D. (1993–1994)
• Wade Nobles, Ph.D. (1994–1995)
• Thomas A. Parham, Ph.D. (1995–1996)
• Frederick B. Phillips, Psy.D. (1996–1997)
• Kamau Dana Dennard, Ph.D. (1997–1998)
• Afi Samella Abdullah, Ph.D. (1998–1999)
• Mawiya Kambon, Ph.D. (1999–2000)
• Anthony Young, Ph.D.(2000–2001)
• Mary E. Hargrow, Ph.D. (2001–2002)
• Harvette Grey, Ph.D. (2002–2003)
• Willie S. Williams, Ph.D. (2003–2004)
• James E. Savage, Ph.D. (2004–2005)
• Robert Atwell, Psy.D. (2005–2007)
• Dorothy A. Holmes, Ph.D. (2007–2009)
• Benson George Cooke, Ed.D. (2009-2011)
• Cheryl Tawede Grills, Ph.D. (2011-2013)
• Taasogle Daryl Rowe, Ph.D. (2013-2015)
• Kevin Washington, Ph.D. (2015-2017)
• Huberta Jackson-Lowman, Ph.D. (2017–2019)
• Theopia Jackson, Ph.D., (2019–2021)
• Donell Barnett, Ph.D.,(2021-2023)
• Current President Dr. Sharon L. Bethea, Ph.D., (2023-2025)

Additional resources

• Official site
• Journal of Black Psychology
• Psych Discourse, newsletter of ABPsi