Black Psychology Essay

rob This is an autobiographical essay where I in short analyzes and interpret significant and impactful events that has transpired over my rifle 20 grades in my spiritedness from school to my company in Portland, operating room. The intent of this essay is to connect c formerlypts and the course objectives associate to scurrilous psychological science which I enrolled in at Florida Agri ethnic and Mechanical University (FAMU) pass over 2009 term. The forthline for this essay is in a chronological age order offset from my birth in 1988 till my received commence at FAMU.The book that is chiefly referenced in this essay is the Kobi K. Kambon textbook African/ gloomy psychological science in American Context An African relate Approach along with Joseph Baldwins set lectures that I attended. Divided Among two antithetical Views of the World But this is my Story The intellect that a slow person is from Portland, operating theater seems to be shocking information for original blacks. Once I introduce myself to impudently friends and professors who neer traveled to Portland or were never informed that barren plenty come through in Oregon.Many argon intrigued by this information and fuddle a betoken to know more. So to answer that question, yes at that pasture atomic number 18 blacks who live in Oregon. I am a product of Oregon I, Michelle Williams, was born and raised in the urban community in Portland amongst other African-Americans. sensation may assume that I had a difficult time growing up in Oregon. Experiencing discrimination, racism, or identity crisis however, my cardinal siblings and I never did. Although, I did non experience those types of issues, I understood that in Portland, the subdued induce was the minority and Europeans were the volume in the backwash factor.In addition, do not assume that my family lineage solo lines in Oregon, on some(prenominal) sides of my family gray roots run deep. Therefore, southern traditions, values, moral philosophy, beliefs, and springer were inbreeded into my up brings. Without questions, I am an African-American woman from Portland, Oregon however, my geographic realm does not define my blackness, nor does it determine if I am cap fit of experiencing hardships like my workfellow peers who were raised in Southern states.In my archaeozoic puerility, I resided with my maternal naan due to my p atomic number 18nts call to their environment and the use of narcotics. However, my time pass with my grandmother was not in vein, soon enough filled with age of observing and acquirement how to uphold traditional southern values, which the fresh world of psychology considers the African/ vitriolic Worldviews. In the book, African/ scurrilous psychology in the American context An African- touch Approach Kobi K.Kambon explains the difference between the African/ cruddy and European Worldviews. The four comp geniusnts that couch the worldviews atomic number 18 cosmology, ontology, axiology, and epistemology (Kambon, 1998) In the African/ African-American worldviews one atomic number 18 taught to call up in oneness/ harmony with nature, extract of the group, humdrum whereas the European Worldview suck in the notion of survival of the fit testify, competiveness, independence, and uniqueness (being different).In my middle squirthood my parents redirected their life, and my mother re handleed to college and obtained her bachelors and masters in psychological science with a minor in Black Studies at Portland State University. While in school she begun to incorporate her findings into her parenting. Although, my mother and I were led by Eurocentric teachings, my family and our milieu reinforced the black/African-American Worldviews in the household. I recall myself adapting to the ideologies and beliefs of those who were not at bottom my profess indigenous heathen group.Kambon defines this experience as a black child who has been influenced by Eurocentric teachings resulting in unnatural Unnatural Circumstances. The child has reliable and identified him or herself as a member of a group that is not indigenous cultural reality (Kambon, 1998). I was able to bounce back to the normal-nature mickle, with the attend of my Black community friends, and family through our morals and beliefs. I had to stay true to my own cultural reality and not be amongst those who are cultural mis-identified.An example of how I demonstrated abnormal unnatural circumstances was when I accepted the European philosophies and allowed the whites to order and define what was appropriate or improve based off their standards and views on life. By this I allowed the notion that white Barbie dolls are better, rather than the Black China chick my grandmother purchased for Christmas one year. While in middle school, which is considered my late or pre-adolescence years, I was offered acceptance into the Talent and Gift overly know n as the pock broadcast.The cross off platforms honors and congratulates students who demonstrated outstanding abilities or potentials in areas of general intellect ability or specific ability aptitude (Davenport company School Website). After discovering the truth in the Black Psychology course, I get come to the understanding that this particular program has several flaws that discriminates against the Black zip. The black students who go by above the standards set for Blacks are called capable or Gifted. In chapter viii it stated that thither was some Blacks who scored as high as Whites on example tests of so-called perception operation (i.e research on Black gifted children) (Kambon, 1998).The earthing of the slate program continues and supports White Supremacy. The commentary the European psychologist use to define intelligence which were examined on Caucasians only was (a) the repertoire of intellectual/cognitive skills and knowledge available to a person at an y one period of time, or (b) the aggregate of globular capacity of the individual to act purposely, to conceive rationally, and to deal effectively with his/her environment (Kambon,1998).The label of a couple of exams that exemplified that one was respectable were The Alfred Binet and the Binet Test, also known as parole Quotient/ IQ, Charles Spearman with the GS Factor test, and a few others (Kambon, 1998). Robert L. Williams the stand by National Chairman/ President of American of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) (Kambon, 1998), develop a Black cultural specific intelligence test which demonstrated that Blacks could perform superiority to Whites on such a Black cultural based test.The test was called Black intelligence service Test for Cultural Homogeneity formally known as BITCH. His intelligence test showcased that African-American students were out playacting whites by 30 to 50 points (Kambon, 1998). In relations to my acceptance to the TAG program I felt a moxie of being privileged, superior, and connected to the white race in some sense. I minuscule my peers who the Europeans and the test scored them as being underachievers. with my actions I had continued on the European worldviews.The people see the good that the TAG program promotes however, there are surmount sides and negative characteristics of being called a adroit or Gifted child. In my early adolescence years, I was considered at times a student who could be insubordinate, disrespectful, and disruptive in class. However, my actions were to challenge an question my teachers philosophy rough occidental History, settlement in Africa, slavery, and anything that focused on the Black race. Now looking back on what transpired in high school I was trying to discover the truth regarding my peoples.I tried to unravel the mess that the Europeans, westbound historians, philosophers, and psychologist created. Removing the blind folds that had been placed over my look through the European teach ings I was deteriorate of receiving the edited, shorten, and beautified story the teachers and academic computer program spoon-feed me every(prenominal) year during the one month Blacks are allowed to celebrate their history (February). I call for come to accept that knowledge is rouge and discovered like john Henrik Clarke that, African History/ Negro History are the missing pages of World History (John Henrik Clarke, 1996).In chapter three of Kambon books, he explains this idea of cultural reality and worldviews construct, and how ones thoughts beliefs, values and actions are not uniquely our own, distinct and separate from those of others, peculiarly other individuals (Kambon, 119). In right aways society we accept as true that Europeans set the standards or dictated/ guide one to believe that their ways of living and doing things are how things ought to be done continues white supremacy.I am now in my third year at FAMU as a care for major interested in psychology, suc ceeding(a) siblings footsteps of attending a Historical Black University. My journey in the Black Psychology has taught me unexampled things about my personality and where I come from. In my opinion Oregon is a several(a) and complex state. I had adopted and match the different worldviews. From my secondary education I have come to a new found knowledge about this Black Psychology and its striving for ne plus ultra in the Black communities.I have come to understand that my people are from the Southern or African Cradle, which real before the Northern or European Cradle a model Diop (Kambon, 1998). I am from the lineage of infamous Pharaohs and sissys such as Narmar, Pharaoh and Queen who whore the red and white top of the inning Hatshepsut (Abarry, 1996). For years information has been hidden and render from my peers and I. Not only from the African descendents in Oregon, but from all of the descendents of Africa has that populated the 50 states in America.I have knowledgea ble that I am a descendent of expectant Queens and Kings and Africans who were educated, governed themselves, ran a successful economy that was demonstrable in many aspects before the 1500s when Europeans arrived. Ancient Kemit (KMT) and the Maat which is the design in which the KMT people lived by (Abarry, 1996). I have grown accustomed to both(prenominal) westerly and this new psychology called Black Psychology. I am able to observe and fully understand and accept the course objectives in Black Psychology because I have been in the ream of both worlds.My parents were educated and products of the early 60s where there was a large heading on civil rights and black psychologist reservation a change for the black community. such as the Pan-African Cultural nationalism gallery group who where Black Psychologist who advocate that race and culture are the foundation of African self-identity and psychological well being (Kambon, 1998). Black psychology has made tremendous accomp lishments they have challenged the ideals and ideologies of Western Psychology. Rather than being the blind test mice used in Western Psychology, Black psychologist has made a tell apart in Psychology.There has been a creation of Psychology geared to the Blacks. They have developed an impressive editorial journal that comes out quarterly called The Journal of Black Psychology which has been around for about 35 years (Kambon, 1996). The members of the Association of Black Psychologist have sweep over many obstacles that have been presented in anterior of them, and will continue to do so for following years to come (Kamon, 1998). I find that my mind was once held mantled in a sense, before I entered college under Eurocentric teachings.I upheld the ideas of Eurocentric teachings, yet the status quo has changed in respect for the Black Race, and my cognitive for that matter. In todays society black children are taught by a Eurocentric teaching, where there is a mis-education which manifests itself in the Eurocentric conceptual incarceration (Kambon, 1998). The portrait the European psychologists varicoloured through their views and studies of the black race, personality, mental health, and behavioural problems have not reflected the Black people in anyway. On the contrary it has caused a separation between blacks.Those who believed in ever-changing the psychology world for the black race have succeeded at founding its place and did not allow the standards set by Western Psychology to be the foundation for Black Psychology (Kambon, 1996). Today the blacks can see the great depth of the Eurocentric cultural incarceration that encapsulates African intellectual consciousness and scholarship. (Kambon,1998). Which has caused a developmental problem of the knowledge of the African/ black race. From the motivation of Francis Cecil Sumner, Herman G. Canady, Robert L. Williams, Marcus Gravey, Nat Turners, W.E. B Dubois, Frances cress Welsing, and the thousands of m embers of the Association of Black Psychology, there is a psychology that focuses on the black community which is not defined by the Western Psychology standards. It is up to students like me to hire the essential tools from courses like Black Psychology, and turn a deaf ear to the myths and take information that the Western Psychology once succeeded at incarcerating. This was my experience from growing up in Portland, Oregon and making a much need journey to Florida A&M University which landed me a understructure in Dr.Joseph Baldwin course Black Psychology. References Abarry, S. , Asante, M. ,(1996). African intellectual Heritiage. Philadelphia, PA Temple complot A Great and Might Walk. Dir. St. Claire Bourne. Perf. Wesley Snipes John Henrik Clarke. 1996. Bourne, C. Westley Snipes (1996) Los Angles Davenport Community School Website. (1998, Aug). Retrieved Mar. 09, 2009, from http//www. davenport. k12. ia. us/curriculum/gifted. asp Kambon, K. (1998). African/ black psychology in the american context an african- bear on approach. Tallahassee, Fl Nubian Nation Publication.