ARTICLES

EDITORIAL: Crisis: Danger and Opportunity

By Halford H. Fairchild, 3

President’s Address

The World Wide Web of African Psychology: From Antiquity to the Present, By Mary E. Hargrow, 4

Student Circle Chair’s Address

Growth and Productivity,

By Satira Streeter, 6

A Tribute to Dr. Mary Mitchell Harris

By Arletta Brinson, 7

Culturally Competent Supervision Makes a Critical Difference, By Marcelle Christian, 8

It it Doesn’t Work, Black Folks Won’t Buy It, By Harry R. Davidson, 10

2002 International Convention, 11

Convention Highlights, 12

Program Highlights, 13

CEU Workshops, 18

Convention Registration, 19

ANNOUNCEMENTS, 21

E-mail Directory, 24

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING, 24

Job Opportunities, 24

EDITORIAL

Crisis: Danger and Opportunity

BY Halford H. Fairchild, Ph.D.

Editor, Psych Discourse

The Chinese epigram for the word crisis is a combination of the words “danger” and “opportunity.”

From some perspectives, The Association of Black Psychologists is in a state of crisis: Accumulated debt, the search for a permanent home, declining memberships, and austere budgets have placed The Association into survival mode.

Fortunately, The ABPsi has a number of resources that can turn this crisis into a new opportunity. Those resources are our intellectual heritage, but more importantly, they reside in the hearts and souls of committed members—from students to elders.

Particular tribute should be paid to our National President, Mary Elizabeth Hargrow, who inherited an administrative and fiscal situation that easily meets the definition of crisis. Through a tough administrative style and a strict adherence to an austere budget, Dr. Hargrow has kept the ship afloat.

But this feat is no solitary achievement. The Board of Directors, in the main, have come to her stalwart support and continued their professional and financial sacrifices to ensure a future for The ABPsi.

Several members of the Council of Elders, notably Maisha Hamilton-Bennett, Asa Hilliard, Moriba Kelsey and Robert L. Williams, have rallied around the Board to conceive a new beginning for The Association. Several past presidents, in addition to the elders named above, attended a Spring 2002 retreat to help revitalize The Association. They included Samella Abdullah, Na’im Akbar, and Kobi Kambon. Paris Finner-Williams has lent her marvelous skills to assist the Board in developing concrete policies and procedures for the conduct of Association business.

Among the students, Dr. Satira Streeter, the outgoing Chair of the Student Circle, has contributed mightily by recruiting hundreds of new student members who provide the lifeline to ABPsi’s future. She has also volunteered valuable expertise in the national office.

Our current crisis is an opportunity to re-examine our organizational structure as we institute fiscally responsible policies and procedures. It is an opportunity to cultivate new leadership and provide more opportunities to a broader section of our membership. It is an opportunity to transform our theories and ideologies into meaning practices that will serve African people throughout the world.

Halford Fairchild is a professor of psychology and Black Studies at The Claremont Colleges. He may be reached at HalFairchild@aol.clom.

The ABPsi’s 34^th Annual International Convention in San Diego is going to be one of our best. The theme, “The World Wide Web of African Psychology: From Antiquity to the Present” has attracted a broad array of presenters making the program truly a “celebration of the diversity of our psychological practices.” The presenters raise questions about what the content and practice of psychology for African descent people must include to be effective in addressing their multi-faceted needs. These issues will be addressed in workshops, mini-workshops, think tanks, symposia, keynote speeches, and poster presentations.

Expect to be challenged by cutting edge information about what psychology is, and what it should be and include. View this as an opportunity to open your eyes, ears, mind, and heart wider and deeper, for is this not an essential part of the daily practice of psychology? You are invited to engage in meaningful and growth promoting dialogue in love and openness to make a positive difference in the lives of people of African ancestry locally, nationally, and internationally. Although we as a group have much to celebrate with pride, in that the accomplishments of one of us reflect the accomplishments of all of us. No one stands alone or has achieved what they have alone. Many have made sacrifices, visible and invisible, for each of us to be where we are. The saying that we are “one” is more than a metaphor, it has roots reflected in the often quoted statement, “ I am because we are, and because we are therefore I am.”

As we look back and view how far we have come, what are the measures of our achievements? In the 34 years of our existence, we have developed two scholarly periodicals, The Journal of Black Psychology (published in collaboration with Sage Publications) and Psych Discourse (the monthly “newsjournal” of The ABPsi). We have won court battles that banned the use of intelligence tests for educational placement in California; we have trained hundreds of service providers in HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention; and we have mentored hundreds of students who are now practicing mental health professionals. Members of The Association have authored numerous books and other publications and served in influence positions in state psychology boards, mental health centers, and colleges and universities.

Although we have grown and achieved all of this and more as individuals and as a group, this progress has been insufficiently manifested locally, nationally, or internationally. Many scenarios clearly demonstrate a diverse African American community out of balance and in need of major physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual healing. They still require effective psychological interventions. We must seriously consider looking in places that we have been taught to shun, not just improve the things that we already know. Although many of us are successful in working with African ancestry people individually and in groups in a number of settings, we must admit that those successes are inadequate. The unmet needs of African people, or consequences of our failures, are strikingly visible and widely disseminated in the mass media. The currently bleak condition of our people is evident despite the fact that people of African ancestry are visibly successful in business, politics, and popular culture.

African Americans are present as CEOs in Fortune 500 corporations, won both academy awards as best actress and actor in the most powerful country in the world in 2002, and often set the trends in fashion and music among youth around the world. Three physicians of African ancestry have been appointed Surgeon General of the United States of America. We have attained high ranks in government including governor, current Secretary of State and Foreign Affairs Advisor to the President of the United States of America, plus a myriad of other achievements -- of which I and many others are very proud.

However, when we take a full assessment of our current situation, we must ask how can this be: that such a large number of our children have no real home, they are wards of the government?. They are being raised by strangers, being nurtured is happenstance, and far too many of them go from foster care to incarceration to receive their rights of passage from the state -- in a cold environment surrounded by cement and metal, devoid of warmth and protection? How did this happen? Do we not have more elected politicians, judges, lawyers, social workers, psychologists, and magnificent and well-attended churches? How did this happen? Did we stop walking among the people who were less fortunate? Did we stop watching and making sure that the children were cared and counted -- to see if they were present at the end of the day? Did we become so focused on our individual comfort, glory, and acceptance that we had no time to notice that they were being lost? Many of our politicians helped to create the draconian laws that are literally annihilating the very spirit of the African ancestry families. Yes, we did all of that and we are still doing it innocently and unknowingly. The impact of our ignorance and indifference accumulates and has becomes a nightmare of human suffering.

There are diverse interests and motivations among us, and the situations mentioned above mandate that psychologists of African ancestry open our hearts and minds to meet the challenge of going beyond the common comfort zone and becoming open to other ways of knowing and to other sources of knowledge. These ways of knowing and knowledge are very old, and some of that knowledge is in danger of dying with some of the oldest elders who are the “Knowledge and Wisdom Keepers” of our tribes and communities.

Despite all of our short comings, we do continue to progress in many ways. Increasingly we are acknowledging the psychological impact of history. The Association is being asked to verify the impact of trauma that is generations old. Of course I speak of slavery and the ongoing Maafa.

Dr. Erick Gbdossou, our brother from Dakar, Senegal--a physician and initiated traditional doctor/healer--is traveling to our Convention. He will present to us what happened to Africans who were sold into slavery to sever the “spiritual bond” between the Africans who were forced to leave the continent and those who stayed--prior to their departure to the land now called America and other parts of the Diaspora--with the aim of restoring that “spiritual bond.” He has devoted many years of work to designing and developing a program for the purpose of beginning to heal the “rupture” between those ancestral spirits. I will be preparing a group to participate in this journey, which will take place in Cotonou, Benin, West Africa around next January 10, 2003.

The array of 2002 convention presentations that reflect the diversity of the work of our students and professionals are listed elsewhere in this issue of Psych Discourse (the list is a partial one at this date, check the website for updates, www.ABPsi.org). The presentations have been divided into groups to facilitate the focus of your convention experience. It is our hope that this structure will provide the opportunity for you to either choose one tract on which to focus or multiple tracts of focus. The groupings are: Defending our community; Integrating Culture and Psychotherapy Interventions; Exploring New Frontiers: Reclaiming Our African Ancestral Connections; and Research &/or Collaboration.

I invite you to come to San Diego in August and share in the World Wide Web of African Psychology. Come and collaborate in developing our individual and collective competencies in working with people of African ancestry and other underserved groups.

President Hargrow may be reached at MEHargrow16@aol.com or in care of the National Office.

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On March 30, 2002, I made a promise that was difficult to make but is one that I must keep. On that day, at the Celebration of Life Services for Dr. Mary Mitchell Harris, I promised her family and friends that I would share the news of her transition with her ABPsi Family. Dr. Harris was instrumental in shaping the direction of the Atlanta Chapter of The Association of Black Psychologists. She served as a Chapter President, mentor and friend. Dr. Harris was active at the national level of The ABPsi and inspired many aspiring Social and Sports Psychologists.

The following are excerpts from her family’s description of her “Life Journey”…

…If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain…This beloved verse best describes the life of Dr. Mary Mitchell Harris, a dedicated servant of God and to Human Kind…After graduating Valedictorian from Durham’s Hillside High School at the age of sixteen, she accepted a scholarship to Duke University in 1963 as one of the first five African American undergraduates. In her second year she became engaged and married Michael William Harris. Graduating on June 5, 1967 with a B.S. in Psychology, she became the first African American to earn an undergraduate degree from Duke University. She continued her education by obtaining both her Masters and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pittsburgh in 1972 and 1974, respectively.

Dr. Harris relocated to Atlanta, GA in 1972 where she helped to shape the success of the community by working first as an educator for the Atlanta Public School System, then as an assistant professor at Spelman College. In 1987 she began working with the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Athletic Association as the Performance Counselor. It is here that she began her life’s work, Educating the Whole Person-Mind, Body and Spirit. In 1988 she published the book Power Learning: A Game Plan for Student Athletes and Other Active Learners. The book focused on applying brain-building techniques to optimize student learning performance just as athletes build muscle to optimize athletic performance.

“Tapping reserves of the brain is the key to winning in the classroom as well as on the field and court”. Dr. Mary M. Harris

The book led to the Power Learning Program, created to enhance the academic performance of student athletes at Georgia Tech. In 1992 Dr. Harris formed the Harris Learning Systems, Inc. The Power Learning Program was adapted for students enrolled in the U.S. Army JROTC programs across the country and abroad…She did not believe that bright students should be disallowed access to secondary education based on the results of culturally and economically biased tests. She often gave away her (test preparation) services to ensure the success of our youth.

A twenty-five year member of Hillside Chapel and Truth Center, she served as Instructor of Education in the Barbara King School of Ministry…She brought love, peace and joy to those she touched. Along the way there were appointments, certificates and commendations. She was recognized and respected for the intellectual knowledge of the Human Brian and how it could excel. But most of all she was loved by all who knew her. She always had a kind word, always a positive affirmation and always a smile on her face. Her life lives on in the hearts, minds and memories of her children: Michael E. Harris (Zena), Ali Harris, and Zwella Harris.

Dr. Harris “began life on June 22, 1946” and “returned to life” on March 21, 2002. In between, I am blessed to have been touched by her life.

Arletta Brinson may be reached at Arletta@earthlink.net.

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“Culturally competent supervision makes a critical difference in the quality of the training and the quality of the therapy delivered. It is our collective responsibility to see that our colleagues and our students address these important issues.”

Clinical supervision plays an important role in a trainee’s development. For student-trainees in counseling or clinical psychology training programs, the quality of the supervisory relationship can have a crucial impact on their development as clinicians. This relationship, in turn, can either positively or negatively affect a student’s interactions with his or her clients. Good clinical supervision can provide valuable information about conceptualizing a case, approaching treatment, maintaining a good therapeutic alliance, and monitoring progress. As Brown and Landrum-Brown (1995) wrote, “[T]he supervisor directly influences the attitudes, knowledge, and skills of a supervisee through his or her own attitudes, knowledge, and skills…In addition, the supervisor indirectly influences the client through his or her influence on the supervisee’s performance as counselor” (p. 266). Effective supervision can benefit the trainee and indirectly benefit the trainee’s clients.

Although cross-cultural issues in therapy have been given increasing amounts of attention in the clinical literature, fewer articles have been devoted to cross-cultural issues in clinical supervision. Therapists and their supervisors can differ in nationality, racial or ethnic background, racial or ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, religious affiliation, or a combination of these characteristics. These differences, if not addressed, can contribute to conflicts. Furthermore, as Brown and Landrum Brown (1995) wrote, “[W]orldview conflicts between supervisees and supervisors may be reflected in the evaluation of the trainee, in the quality of the supervisory relationship, and in each party’s therapeutic approach” (p. 263-264).

My comments are limited to issues that may arise when there are racial/ethnic differences between supervisors and their trainees. Specifically, I address some of the important issues that may arise when the supervisor is a representative of the mainstream or dominant group and the trainee is African American.

Several years ago, an African American colleague brought a case to her White supervisor: An African American single mother wanted her daughter to be seen for individual therapy. The mother had recently been diagnosed with a major mental illness that was being treated elsewhere. Financial resources were scarce; however, the mother recognized that her child’s behavioral and emotional problems needed to be addressed. This family’s pattern of interactions resembled a never-ending feedback loop. The mother’s emotional difficulties were likely contributing to the child’s behavioral problems, and the child’s violent outbursts were frustrating and confusing to a mother with few emotional resources. My colleague was excited about the prospect of working with this family. In a clinic whose clients were overwhelmingly White, the opportunity to work with an African American family was a rare and valuable clinical experience.

The supervisor’s feedback was immediate; she suggested that my colleague tell the mother than she could not take the case and refer the client elsewhere. The supervisor said that until this family could demonstrate more stability (both emotional and economic), talk therapy or play therapy for the daughter would, at best, be useless; at worst, it might create false expectations that could not possibly be met. Taking the case, the supervisor suggested, would be an irresponsible action given the limited economic resources and overwhelming pathology in the family. These people were simply not suitable clients; they were poor and not very “psychologically-minded,” the supervisor said.

This was disappointing news to the student-trainee, who felt that even limited contact with the girl might provide her with a place to express her feelings about her mother’s illness and discuss the troubling behavior. Furthermore, the trainee resented the authoritarian way in which the supervisor’s comments were delivered and felt that the supervisor cut off important conversations they could have had about working with African American families who don’t fit the YAVIS profile (young, attractive, verbal, intelligent, and successful). The supervisor’s comments may have some merit. However, there was little room in this supervision for a productive discussion of how the clinic might help the family or of the reasons behind the trainee’s interest in the case. The supervisor’s comments illustrated the discomfort many supervisors may feel when the trainee wishes to work with an ethnic or racial clientele with whom the supervisor has had very little personal or professional experience. The supervisor may have felt that her actions guaranteed that the trainee would continue to bring cases to supervision that more closely resembled the population with whom the supervisor was already familiar. The inability for the supervisor to discuss the important ways that race and ethnicity were operating in both client-trainee relations and trainee-supervisor relations contributed to a missed opportunity for all involved.

“When the supervisor is White and the supervisee and patient are both African American,” Owens-Patterson (2000) wrote, “the White supervisor’s belief in his or her own normalcy, superiority, or essential ‘rightness’ is assumed…” (p. 147). Misuse of supervisory power can contribute to the demoralization of trainees, who learn to adhere to a supervisor’s wishes, rather than question assumptions and develop their own clinical expertise and acumen.

In another example, an African American trainee brought notes from her sessions with a White client to her White supervisor. The client made occasional comments about race while in session (the client brought up her son’s school and how it was “overrun” with the children of African immigrants, for example), and the trainee wanted to understand these comments in light of the client’s presenting problems and possible transference reactions towards the trainee. The supervisor was able to address his lack of familiarity with being a minority therapist with a White client, talk about the trainee’s feelings when such comments were made in session, and suggest ways of bringing up the subject of race in the trainee’s next session with the client. The supervisor was able to discuss both trainee-supervisor differences and trainee-client differences in a useful way. This case represents a much more productive discussion of race and ethnicity.

African American trainees can take a variety of steps to address the problems that may emerge in cross-cultural supervision. It might be useful to talk about the supervision with fellow trainees. The supervisor may have had similar difficulties with other ethnic minority trainees or may have made similarly disparaging comments about the suitability of other ethnic minority clients. In this case, the solution to problematic supervisory interactions may require a change of supervisors. In the first example, the student decided to bring the case to another senior clinician, who supported her efforts to conduct therapy with the daughter. In addition, the trainee might bring in theoretical or empirical articles that discuss cross-cultural psychotherapy or cross-cultural issues in supervision to stimulate conversation. Furthermore, trainees should remember that just as they are being evaluated, they have an important responsibility to evaluate the quality of their supervision. Feedback is an important way for the clinic to determine whether the trainee’s problems are localized to one supervisor or whether they are serious problems within the structure of the organization. This information is critical for the current group and future groups of trainees.

When the supervisor is a member of the dominant group and the trainee is African American, the trainee may need to take steps to assure that important racial themes in both the supervision and the psychotherapy get expressed. However, supervisors must also be more aware of how issues of power and inexperience might prevent a trainee from bringing important issues to the fore. Culturally competent supervision makes a critical difference in the quality of the training and the quality of the therapy delivered. It is our collective responsibility to see that our colleagues and our students address these important issues.

References

Brown, M.T. & Landrum-Brown, J. (1995). Counselor supervision: cross-cultural Perspectives. In J. G. Ponterotto, J. M. Casas, L.A. Suzuki, & C. M. Alexander (Eds.), Handbook of Multicultural Counseling (pp. 263-286). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Owens-Patterson, M. (2000). The African American supervisor: Racial transference and countertransference in interracial psychotherapy supervision. In L. C. Jackson & B. Greene (Eds.), Psychotherapy with African American women: Innovations in psychodynamic perspectives and practice. (pp. 145-165). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Marcelle Christian is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Black Studies at Pomona College. She can be reached the Department of Psychology, Pomona College, Claremont, CA 91711.

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ABPsi National President, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Hargrow, in the January & February 2002 issue of Psych Discourse, raises concerns about diversity of beliefs within ABPsi’s current and potential membership. I also believe as we embrace elements of our Ancient African traditions and revive the African Spirit, we must be knowledgeable of what some feel are exclusively European--diagnostic classifications, clinical practices and use of psychopharmacology--in addressing the mental health needs of the African community.

Dr. Hal Fairchild once jokingly asked me if I was Harry X. Davidson or Harry R. Davidson. "I use all my identities," I responded. After seeing me "Bamboozled" on national television, Minister Louis Farrakhan cautioned me to always position myself wisely. Both comments have caused me to ponder how I have challenge my "Beautiful Black Mind" to be effective as a Black Psychologist. Harry “X” has achieved things that were beyond the reach of Harry “R.” Whereas, Harry X. could serve as an advisor to Minister Farrakhan. It took Dr. Harry R. Davidson, Ph.D. to consult with the board of a major corporation. It took Harry R. Davidson, Ph.D. to: convince the KKK that an integrated curriculum was needed to cool tensions between Black and White students; provide services and obtain benefits for Black and White Vietnam Veterans; AND effectively consult with schools, state and local government officials and other agencies. As a result of my consultation with the Missouri State Public Defender System, in the murder sentencing of a Black man, a White attorney wrote:

Dear Dr. Davidson:

I am writing to let you know that Mr. B’s case has ended. …as a result of a negotiated plea agreement the state withdrew its request for the death penalty. As a result, Mr. B. was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. We are grateful for the time and energy that you gave to us in our quest to understand Mr. B, his family, and his community. We can not do our job unless people like you will talk to and educate us. The paper you provided to us with the analysis of the psychology of race in America was wonderful and will be useful to our education in other cases. We wanted to extend our special thanks at this time as we close the file on this case. We look forward to our next opportunity to work with you.

It took Dr. Harry in a "du rag" to meet the challenge of traveling to Montego Bay Jamaica with 30 Westside Chicago notorious young Black gang members--to conduct stress workshops, raise consciousness and re-channel destructive energies. Dr. Harry X in a jean suit is better equipped to travel into criminal, drug, roach and rat infested inner-city areas to provide psychotherapy to children and families who are wards of the Division of Family Services. In contrast, Dr. Harry R. Davidson, Ph.D. in a suit, a tie, a brief case and armed with the appropriate psychological jargon can go into divorce court to assure his disabled middleclass Black female patient’s alimony.

When Andrea Yates confessed to drowning her five children in a bathtub most Americans were incensed, totally insensitive and unwilling to recognize her mental illness. It is because of the advent of effective psychopharmacology in the mid 50s that mental illness has been masked from popular awareness. We seldom see the overt displays (e.g., barking like dogs and prophesizing the end of the world) that allowed the whole community to recognize "craziness."

The incidents of women killing their babies is more wide spread than we are willing to admit. There seems to be something about drowning their children that, in these women’s confused state of mind, makes it easier to deal with their lives. Perhaps the confused psychotic mind associates the water with aberrations of salvation rather than death. Black psychiatrist Fred A. Fayne, MD. stated: "It’s almost like these women are attempting to return their children to the protectiveness of the womb." Is this a notion that is best understood in the context of "African Psychology” or “Freudian Psychology?"

I once appeared in court as an expert witness for a Black woman who drowned her two kids in the bath tub. Her children were fathered by a physically abusive man who, despite her attempts to break away, continued to forcefully come into her home, beat and rape her. She felt that she had exhausted every possible way of eradicating him and his threats that he would kill the kids, if she did not comply. One night after he beat her, raped her and left the home, she drowned her children. I concluded that she had experienced a Brief Psychotic Disorder with Marked Stressors coupled with Dissociative Amnesia--an inability to remember the details of actually having killed her kids. She had no memory of drowning the children. In her confused mind, it was the only way out of her dilemma. I used psychological jargon to convince a jury of her mental illness and she was spared the death penalty.

As a Black psychologist, I must remain culturally and professionally competent and flexible in meeting the challenge of "uplifting and empowering the African ancestry community and moving us to wellness and wholeness." I prefer to see myself as flexible rather than eclectic. To declare that I am either eclectic, European Centered or even African Centered is limiting. Rather, the essential question is: Am I adequately equipped and flexible enough to meet the needs of those individuals I profess to serve? After all the philosophical debate, that which is an effective approach has been determined by those I have served. Black folks know that what I offer to them is never White Psychology. Black folks don‘t buy it if it doesn‘t work. I have had to be flexible.

[Editor’s note: Dr. Harry R. Davidson can be reached at DrHarryDavidson@aol.com. Dr. Harry X. Davidson doesn’t use e-mail.]

The Association of Black Psychologists’

Thirty-fourth Annual Convention

At the Four-Point Sheraton, San Diego, California (858-277-8888)

August 4^th-11, 2002

(Presidential opening: Wednesday evening, August 7)

Conference Theme

“The World Wide Web of African/Black Psychology From Antiquity to the Present: Developing Cultural Competence in Working With People of African Ancestry”

About the Convention Theme

The road has been long. There have been struggles and there have been victories. We, the people of African ancestry, are a strong, proud people, who despite wanton, systematic obstacles, have marched forward and are now a force in the World Wide Web of psychology. This year’s theme is a celebration of the journey and the influences of African/Black Psychologists. It is a vehicle to bring together psychological models and practices that psychologists of African ancestry, in the United States and around the world, have developed to address the psychological pain, validate the strengths and struggles, and celebrate the indomitable spirit of people of African ancestry.

You are invited to learn and enjoy presentations of theories, empirical research, professional practices and interventions that address the psychology of people of African ancestry in the Americas, Africa or other parts of the world. We have many papers emphasizing the conference theme that are grounded in specialties within African/Black psychology and related disciplines. Presenters present models, research findings, and practices developed for people of African descent, including papers on contemporary issues related to oppression, injustice, and healing. In honoring our work we honor the diversity of our psychological practices.

You are invited to be a Supporter/Sponsor, Patron or to advertise in the Program Book; be an exhibitor; or just come, learn and have fun. Reunite with old friends; make new friends and share with professionals dedicated to enhancing the journey of people of African ancestry throughout the world.

NOTICE TO EXHIBITORS & ADVERTISERS

Advertising Space Available: The 2002 Annual Convention of the ABPsi will be attended by a wide variety of professionals and university students. Reserve space in the program booklet. For individuals, the Inside Front and Back Cover is $500; The Inside Front and Back Page is $400; a Full Page is $200; a Half Page is $125; a Quarter Page is $50 and a Business Card is $25. For institutions, organizations, and businesses the rates are: A Full Page is $750.00, a Half Page is $500.00, a Quarter Page is $250, and a business card is $100.00. (There are additional charges for photographs).

Vendor/Exhibitor Space: Displays and sales will occur from Wednesday through Saturday. The cost is $100.00 per day. Interested Vendors/Exhibitors should send a SASE to: Program Committee, The ABPsi, PO Box 55999, Washington, DC 20040-5999. Watch Psych Discourse for more information.

2002 Convention Highlights

Four-Points Sheraton-San Diego, CA

(858-277-8888 for reservations;

the hotel will sell out and Convention rates close July 15, 2002)

August 4-11, 2002

(Presidential Opening is Wednesday, August 7, 2002; Meetings and Professional Development Workshops are prior.)

Plans are well under way for the 34^th annual convention of the ABPsi. Presentation proposals have been received from all across the country and Africa, from students, practicing professionals and our honored elders. Every aspect of the 2002 theme, “The World Wide Web of African/Black Psychology: From Antiquity to the Present” is represented. Presentations offer theories and techniques for accomplishing the conference goal of “Developing Cultural Competencies in Working with People of African Ancestry.” Read on for a “sneak preview” of what awaits you and your family at the 2002 ABPsi Convention.

Pre-Convention Workshops include a day and half workshop by Dr. Asa Hillard entitled “Issues Related to the Instructional Validity of Testing and Assessment-and Other School Roles” (Tues. and Wed., August 6 & 7. Additional fee); The African Psychology Institute is planning a multifaceted full day workshop and participants earn credit towards an API degree (Sat. August 10. Additional fee). “For members only” the Leadership Workshop (no fee) will be on Wed. Aug. 7. Plans are also underway for interaction with the San Diego community.

Presentations include: a Think Tank entitled “Black School Psychologists Uniting to Safeguard Our Children” lead by Gina Gordon-Lopez, MA and Brandon E. Gamble, MS; a Mini Workshop, “Substance Abuse Relapse Prevention-Self Empowerment Training Program” lead by Paris N. Finner-Williams, Ph.D., L.P., Esq.; a Poster presentation by Shalonda Kelly, Ph.D. on the “Analysis & Validation of the African Self-Consciousness Scale: Implications for African American Mental Health”; Denise M. Williams Johnson, Ph.D. plans to present the Symposium “The Use of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing with Clients of Color”; Papers such as “An Exploratory Analysis of Dietary Behavior Among African Americans” by Shawn Thompson, Ph.D., Naa Kwate, Ph.D. and Reggie Ruckers, M.S.; and A Panel Discussion on “Reparations: Healing the Rupture, Easing the Pain” will be lead by Wade W. Nobles, Ph.D. (all papers and panels are included in the registration).

With over 50 abstracts submitted, the five days will be filled with informative, thought provoking and energizing presentations. So, come early, stay late, or “play hooky” one afternoon to enjoy San Diego, one of the most popular tourist spots in the country. The Four-Points is a beautiful hotel with a swimming pool, 9-hole golf course, etc., and shuttle service to the San Diego Zoo, Sea World and other attractions. Or, leave the country and take a day trip to Mexico.

Watch for more conference information in the next issue of Psych Discourse, and plan to bring the family and friends and have the “working vacation” you’ll remember for a long time.

- Evelyn Young

2002 Program Highlights

Some Featured Speakers

Daudi Azibo

Faye Belgrave

Jacob Carruthers

Michael Eric Dyson

Paris Finner-Williams

Eric Gbodossou

Asa Hilliard

Lewis King

Linda James Myers

Wade Nobles

Robert L. Williams

Professional Development Workshops (extra registration fees apply)

The Biblical Aspects of the Therapeutic Process: Transformation and Empowerment through a Christian Prayer Support Group. Presenter: Denise M. Williams Johnson, Ph.D. (Private Practice, East Orange, NJ). Description: This workshop discusses the biblical aspects of the therapeutic process and how to transform and empower through a Christian support group. The learning objectives are to integrate psychology and religion and to learn how to do a religious support group through participating in one.

“A Power Paradigm in School Psychology: Beyond Ranking & Custodial Care.” Presenter: Dr. Asa Hilliard (Georgia State University). Description: This one-day and a half workshop provides a comprehensive look at the practice of school psychology and counseling psychology. The workshop focuses on powerful, instructionally valid practices. Among the topics to be presented are the following: History of Psychology in the Schools, Testing and Assessment Related to Instructional Outcomes, Language in Assessment and Teaching, Culture in Assessment in Teaching, The Law and Public Policy, African cultural Traditions and World View (and forgotten powerful approaches). Workshop members will view videotapes of instructionally actual valid teaching and assessment. Workshop members will receive a Power Pack of reference materials (selected bibliography) and handouts.

Symposia

Issues & Skill Development in Family Treatment for Delinquent & Drug using African Americans. Presenters: Robert L. Williams, Ph.D. (University of Missouri Columbia Missouri), Robert A. Williams, Ph.D. (San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA), and William Thomas, Ph.D. (City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA). Description: This symposium will bring together scholarly works and techniques for the treatment of African American youths and adults. It is intended to widen the lens through which African Americans are viewed within and outside of mental health system. It will also deal with African American youths that are disproportionately represented in U.S. juvenile systems. The symposium will describe innovations in treating delinquent and drug using African American youths. Family therapy will be described that is augmented by treatment techniques that address socio-structural, peer, school, and family issues.

Continental Africans’ Mental System: Implications for effective Immigrants and Refugees Health Intervention. Presenters: Eke F. Wokocha, Ph.D. (Alafia Wellmess Center, Lemon Grove, CA). Description: The presentation addresses the issues of cultural competence for psychologists working with African immigrants. The presentation will discuss causes attributed to mental health problems in Africa, approaches to treatment, share lessons learned from working with this population on arrival in the United States, and provide guidelines for mental health intervention for Africans new in the United States.

A Strength Based Approach for Increasing Resiliency among African American Girls. Presenters: Tiffany Townsend , Ph.D. (Penn State University, University Park, PA), Faye Belgrave, Ph.D. (Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA), Vonnie Hedgepath Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA), Melba Reed, M.A. (Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA), Renee Alleyne, B.A. (Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA), and Cheryl Bennett, M.A. (Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA). Description: The purpose of this symposium is to present and discuss a model of prevention work for African American, adolescent girls. Our prevention model is based on recognizing and building upon strengths that already exists or that can be developed or enhanced in the target population. For African American girls, this includes gender and ethnic identity enhancement strategies that are Africentric and relational.

The Use of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) With Clients of Color. Presenters: Denise M. Williams Johnson, Ph.D. (Private Practice, East Orange, NJ). Description: The workshop will include a brief film about EMDR, followed by a case presentation with a Client of Color. The purpose of the workshop is to familiarize clinicians with EMDR, and to discuss some practical points about using the technique from a multicultural perspective.

Psychological Defense Mechanisms and the African Personality (Racial Identity): Empirical Reports. Presenters: Veronica Daniels (Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida), Alicia Jackson (Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida), Khia Thomas (Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida), and Tamella Robinson (Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida). Description: This session discusses psychological defense mechanism. Findings on the correlation between defense mechanisms and African personality are presented.

Papers

A Qualitative Analysis of African American Women’s Sexual Self-descriptors. Presenters: Marcelle Christian Ph.D. (Pomona College, Claremont, CA), and Claire Tebbets, B.A. (Pomona College, Claremont, CA). Description: This paper presents research on words African American women use to describe themselves sexually. By gathering information on how women self-define, we can develop model and measures that address their experience.

Black In the World? Working with African American Homeless Persons. Presenter: Lionel Mandy JD, MBA, MSW (Pepperdine University, Los Angeles, CA). Description: This paper discusses how to provide psychological services for homeless persons of African descent. Providing services to homeless persons requires moral and ethical commitment beyond those offered for compensation.

Relationships between Academic Achievement and The African personality. Presenters: Daudi Ajani ya Azibo, Ph.D. (Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL) and Jeanene Nicole Robinson, MA (Miami [Ohio] University, Miami, Ohio). Description: This presentation will discuss two studies that were done using the African Self Consciousness scale, and academic achievement measures. These include two correlation studies that surveyed both college students and non-college students.

Acknowledging our Success & strengthening our Focus: Implications for Interventions with HIV Seropositve Injection Drug Users. Presenters: Kimberly P. Boyd, M.A. (CDC & Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA), Faye Belgrave, Ph.D. (Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA), Yuko Mizuno, Ph.D. (CDC & Prevention, Atlanta, GA), and David Purcell, Ph.D. (CDC & Prevention, Atlanta, GA). Description: This presentation addresses several questions we need to answer to move in the right direction to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS among HIV seropositive drug users. These questions include; 1) How do we apply what we know? 2) What additional information and resources are needed to reach our objectives? 3) Where do we go from here?

An Examination of the African American Experience of Everyday Discrimination and Psychological Distress. Presenter: Kira Hudson Banks, BA (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI). Description: This research speaks to the ways in which African Americans have coped and preserved when faced with systematic obstacles. The varied effects of discrimination on psychological distress are discussed.

Behind Villagers’ Backs: Neighborhood Networks and African American Youths’ Avoidance of Adult Monitoring. Presenter: Jeanne McIntosh, Ph.D. (DePaul University, Chicago, IL). Description: Collective adult responsibility for raising youth is traditional African custom and is also important for the promotion of African American youths’ mental health in today’s communities. This presentation describes a common phenomenon that can sabotage the efforts of adults to monitor and to protect youth: youth avoidance

TABLE OF CONTENTS

References

You are invited to be a Supporter/Sponsor, Patron or to advertise in the Program Book; be an exhibitor; or just come, learn and have fun. Reunite with old friends; make new friends and share with professionals dedicated to enhancing the journey of people of African ancestry throughout the world.

August 4-11, 2002

(Presidential Opening is Wednesday, August 7, 2002; Meetings and Professional Development Workshops are prior.)