Speaking Truth to Power: How Black/African Psychology Changed the Discipline of Psychology

Abstract

Black/African psychology is a distinct disciplinary field of psychology that includes a community of scholars and a history of scholarly inquiry. Black psychologists grounded in a Black/African psychology tradition have long challenged the hegemonic paradigms and racist beliefs perpetuated by Eurocentric approaches to psychology. However, in the absence of teaching about the important contributions of Black/African psychology, many individuals remain unaware of its historical and contemporary impact on the discipline of psychology. Using the three methodological approaches of deconstruction, reconstruction, and construction as a framework, the authors identify the many ways in which Black/African psychology has challenged prevailing beliefs in psychology about Black behavior and culture and forever changed psychological research on Black people.