One important idea that has to be pointed out about the so-called Black psychology is that the ideas of Dr. Joseph L. White have been pushed in order to make Black people realize their strengths and focus on positive thinking. Interpersonal interactions were deemed vital for the community because communal understanding was one of the few promising trends in psychology that had to be sustained (Williams, 2021). The ideas of White were shared and replicated multiple times in order for the followers to make sure that most of the assertions regarding Black psychology were truthful. For example, the longitudinal design of Black psychology has paved the way for the Freedom Train and numerous experiments that have been intended to prove that Black psychology was different from its conventional counterpart (Cokley et al., 2019). White also asked his mentees to keep up with the nature of Black psychology in order to keep advocating for diversity and positive change.
Despite revolving around a rather complex task, Black psychology was close to success from the very beginning. The quiet support that Dr. White received from the majority of his followers was enough to transform the well-being of numerous Black people and motivate them to contribute to his experiments and assumptions (Jamison, 2018). The process of fixing the field of psychology for the Black population turned out to be an opportunity to capitalize on the differences between races. It was also enough to ensure that the intensity of human interactions would serve as a catalyst for research and development instead of being an obstacle. As humble as White was, his genuine intentions were contingent on the willingness of the followers to do the same and attract more mentees to spread the message of Black psychology.
The legacy of Dr. White shows that Black psychology turned out to be an inspirational concept that has motivated numerous people to strengthen the foundation of differential psychology and its derivatives. The commitment of White and his followers to the idea of promoting minorities turned out to be successful because it went beyond ideological tensions and focused on the need to define the field for innovation (Watson-Singleton, 2017). With a lot more room to create and revolutionize, Black psychology frontrunners gained themselves an opportunity to become less radical and change the world around them through the interface of uncovering differences. The articulated nature of the school of Black psychology paved the way for multicultural psychology and positive psychology as well (Cokley et al., 2019). The belief in humanity remains the central element of Black psychology to this day because racial oppression is not either rational or necessary.
The formation of numerous other fields of psychology could have been preceded by Black psychologists because they were centered on the idea of introducing new systems of thought and action. The concepts of liberation and harmony stood out the most, illuminating the way for the universe where all races existed without altercations and challenges (Watson-Singleton, 2017). The essential source of knowledge that Black psychology mentees recognize is that the whole universe is organized in a certain way where self-knowledge is an essential variable for proper wellbeing and mental health. The understanding of how humans function pushes Black psychology toward a much deeper insight into how social complications could be resolved without resorting to racism and biased decisions.
References
Cokley, K., Palmer, B., & Stone, S. (2019). Toward a black (and diverse) psychology: The scholarly legacy of Joseph White. Journal of Black Psychology, 45(2), 112-121. Web.
Jamison, D. F. (2018). Key concepts, theories, and issues in African/Black psychology: A view from the bridge. Journal of Black Psychology, 44(8), 722-746. Web.
Watson-Singleton, N. N. (2017). Strong Black woman schema and psychological distress: The mediating role of perceived emotional support. Journal of Black Psychology, 43(8), 778-788. Web.
Williams, L. (2021). Towards A Black psychology: Part 1 [Video]. Web.