NIGHT section week 14: Black Psychology Part 1

Hank Williams

Photo: Dr. Wade Nobles

NOTE THAT THIS IS THE UPDATE FOR THE NIGHT SECTION: IF YOU’RE IN THE DAY SECTION, SEE THE POST FOR YOUR CLASS

General Announcements:

  • NY African Diaspora International Film Festival runs from 11/25-12/11. course-related highlights are documentaries on Lowndes County (11/26, 29), Ella Baker (Schomburg, 11/29),  Fannie Lou Hamer (Schomburg, 11/29), Sonia Sanchez (Baruch College, 11/30). Early reservations are highly recommended–especially for free documentary film screenings! Details at their site

 

Quick highlights from Week 13 (11/21)’s class:

  • Reviewed Chapter 7 on Black Economics in Maulana Karenga’s Introduction to Black Studies (pages ).
  • Lecture notes posted in the usual spot
  • Musical intro: Wu Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.” Listen on YouTube
  • News story–Bloomberg: “How America’s Wealth Gap Shaped the Modern Economy” (YouTube)
  • RESOURCE: National Urban League’s “State of Black America” Report. Here

DO THIS for week 13–Monday November 28

For this week, there are 3 texts: 1) part of chapter 10 (Black Psychology) in Maulana Karenga’s Introduction to Black Studies 2) an article from Dr. Wade Nobles 3) a video from Dr. Joy DeGruy.

1-READ the first half of chapter 10 (Black Psychology-pp. 397-407–10 pages) in Maulana Karenga’s Introduction to Black Studies which has the following sections:

  • Intro and historical origins (10.1, 10.2)
  • 3 major schools: differences between approaches (10.3)

We’ll read the second half (different theorists in the “Radical School”) next week.

2-READ Dr. Wade Nobles’s article “Fractured Consciousness, Shattered Identity: Black Psychology and the Restoration of the African Psyche” from the Journal of Black Psychology. 9 pages. PDF linked here. (Courtesy of his website.)

3-WATCH Dr. Joy DeGruy introduce her theory of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome:

4-(OPTIONAL)-Dr. Wade Nobles’s article “From Black Psychology to Sakhu Djaer: Implications for the Further Development of a Pan African Psychology” from the Journal of Black Psychology. PDF link here.

What to read for:

Chapter 10 gives an overview of the broad field of Black Psychology. It starts with a brief overview of the history followed by specific examples of practitioners who began to shape the response to their field, followed by the developments of the 1970s and beyond where a more defined response rooted in culture and experiences of African people outside of dominant theories takes hold. This week, focus on understanding the structure of the field and history from the reading in the textbook. For the reading and video by Drs. Nobles and DeGruy, think about their theories of collective trauma and how this shapes overall responses. If there are any psychology or social work majors, think about how this approach might shape your own ways of operating.

General reading strategies:

  • Underline/highlight key points in the text
  • Use the reading questions at the back of chapters to focus you: read those first
  • Try to understand the definitions of the key concepts listed at the back of the chapter
  • Make a note to ask the instructor to clarify anything you don’t understand
  • Note key issues, approaches, and dilemmas/challenges Dr. Karenga outlines

Discussion questions

  • See chapter/essay highlights above

Additional Resources:

What’s Next?

Chapter 8 (Psychology) part 2 in Introduction to Black Studies

Advertisement