February is Black History Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the important contributions of Black and African American people. Highlighted below are the contributions from just a small sample of well-known Black psychologists. In addition, some great resources of information include the Journal of Black Psychology (publishing research investigating the behavior and experiences of Black and other populations from Black or Afrocentric perspectives), the Association of Black Psychologists (dedicated to Black psychologists helping solve problems in Black communities and providing scholarships and mentorship to student members), and TXST’s Student Involvement page (providing information on campus events in February, on scholarships and student organizations for Black students, and on Black history at TXST and in San Marcos).
Mamie Phipps Clark, PhD
Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark was the first Black woman to earn a doctoral degree in experimental psychology, in 1943 from Columbia University. She previously earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Howard University. Dr. Clark’s work on the impact of racial discrimination and stereotypes on children provided important contributions to the field of developmental psychology and the psychology of race. Moreover, her research on the identity and self-esteem of Black people expanded the work on identity development to include the important construct of racial consciousness and its development in children. Dr. Clark’s legacy additionally includes the establishment of Harlem’s Northside Center for Child Development, which provided therapy to Black children using a holistic approach. She has been praised for achieving success professionally, despite facing both gender and racial obstacles in her career, and she received the Candace Award for Humanitarianism from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women in 1983.
Kevin Cokley, PhD
Dr. Kevin Cokley, who earned his doctorate in counseling psychology from Georgia State University, is a University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor at University of Michigan Ann Arbor, as well as the Associate Chair of Diversity Initiatives. Dr. Cokley is well known for his research on the impostor phenomenon among minoritized populations, research on mental health in minoritized populations, and research that dismantles the myth of intellectual indifference and inferiority among Black students. He has an active voice, regularly publishing op-ed articles, and his books include The Myth of Black Anti-Intellectualism: A True Psychology of African American Students and Making Black Lives Matter: Confronting Anti-Black Racism. Dr. Cokley won the Distinguished Psychologist Award from the Association of Black Psychologists and the Outstanding Contribution to Scholarship on Race and Ethnicity Award from the Society of Counseling Psychology, along with dozens of additional awards and honors throughout his career.
Jennifer Lynn Eberhardt, PhD
Dr. Jennifer Lynn Eberhardt earned her doctorate in social psychology from Harvard University and is currently a Professor at Stanford University. She investigates the profound consequences of the psychological association between race and crime, finding for example, that police officers are more likely to identify Black faces as criminal than White faces, and that Black defendants whose appearance is more stereotypically Black (e.g., darker skinned, broader nose, thicker lips) are more likely to receive harsher sentences than defendants with features that are less stereotypically Black. Dr. Eberhardt has recently begun to work with law enforcement agencies to design interventions to improve policing and to help agencies build and maintain trust with the communities they serve. Much of this research is highlighted in her recent book, Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do, which has been described by critics as poignant and groundbreaking.
Robert V. Guthrie, PhD
Dr. Robert Guthrie earned his PhD in 1970 at the United States International University in San Diego. As a professor at the University of Pittsburgh and at Southern Illinois University, he conducted research on multicultural issues. Dr. Guthrie was well-known for publishing the book, Even the Rat Was White: A Historical View of Psychology, which exposed a long history of racist work in psychology that was used to legitimize oppression of Black people and to promote the idea of Black inferiority. This book also highlighted the work of pioneering Black psychologists, as well as their mentors who helped create a pipeline for Black students to earn PhDs in psychology and join university faculties. Dr. Guthrie was the first Black psychologist to have his papers included in the National Archives of American Psychology, and in 2001, the American Psychological Association described him as “one of the most influential and multifaceted African American scholars of the century.”
Maxie Clarence Maultsby Jr, MD
Dr. Maxie Clarence Maultsby Jr. was a psychiatrist and the founder of the psychotherapeutic method, rational behavioral therapy. His unique contributions include making emotional self-help a legitimate focus of scientific research and clinical use. Through rational behavior therapy, Dr. Maultsby formulated a comprehensive system of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy and counseling that incorporated, in a clinically useful way, the most recent neuropsychological facts about how the brain works in relation to emotional and behavioral self-control. He wrote four pioneering books that describe his method of emotional self-help, called rational self-counseling, including Coping Better … Anytime Anywhere: The Handbook of Rational Self-Counseling. Dr. Maultsby became an Emeritus Professor at the College of Medicine at Howard University, was elected Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists.
Claude M. Steele, PhD
Dr. Claude Steele, a Professor at Stanford University, earned his doctorate in social psychology from Ohio State University. He is best known for his work on stereotype threat, whereby the presence and knowledge of stereotypes, relevant to one’s identity, can be distracting enough to negatively affect performance related to that stereotype. In 2010, Dr. Steele released his book, Whistling Vivaldi and Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us, summarizing years of research on stereotype threat and the underperformance of minority students in higher education. He also served in leadership roles as Dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Education, Provost at Columbia University, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost at the University of California at Berkley, and President of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP). Dr. Steele has received numerous awards recognizing his contributions to the field, including the Legacy Award from SPSP, William James Fellow Award for Distinguished Scientific Career Contribution from the American Psychological Society, and Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association.
Beverly Daniel Tatum, PhD
Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan in 1984. While tenured at Westfield State College and Mount Holyoke College, she became widely known for her scholarship on race relations and published several books including the national and international bestseller, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” and Other Conversations About Race. Beyond her esteemed research career, for which she earned the 2014 APA Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology, Dr. Tatum also held many leadership positions in academia, including College Dean and Vice President for Student Affairs at Mount Holyoke College for four years, as well as President of Spelman College for 13 years. Her innovative leadership in these roles earned her the prestigious Carnegie Academic Leadership Award in 2013. Dr. Tatum continues to give talks across the nation, to be engaged in educational initiatives designed to expand opportunities for underserved students, and to work with local charitable organizations to help the community.