Fifty Years (1974–2024) of the Journal of Black Psychology: A Brief History and Reflection of Its Significance

Abstract

This year, 2024, the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) will celebrate the 50 th anniversary of publishing the Journal of Black Psychology. Congratulations, ABPsi, for having the vision to pursue the creation and publication of a professional journal devoted to the psychological experiences of Black people across the diaspora. Reaching this milestone in the life of a journal is significant. Let me set the context to highlight its significance. First, the Association of Black Psychologists was founded in 1968 (Williams, 1974) at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. It was the first racial minority psychological association to form in the United States. The founders of ABPsi (under the guidance of Drs. Charles Thomas and Robert Green as the first presidents) took ownership of Black psychology with two primary objectives: (a) to grow the profession of Black psychology in order (b) to address the inequitable treatment of Black people. In essence, the Association rejected the deficit model of psychology imposed on Black people and pursued a positive Black psychology by highlighting Black people's psychological strengths and creating interventions to address their inequities and mental health issues (Williams, 2008).By extension, to own the profession means to own its scholarship. Thus, between 1969-1970, Dr. Robert L. Williams, president during this period, "asked Reginald Jones to conduct a study on the feasibility of initiating a