Black Psychology Essay

Abstr set This is an autobiographic essay where I briefly analyzes and interpret signifi stopt and impactful events that has transpi release over my kick the bucket 20 years in my life from shoal to my connection in Portland, operating theater. The objective of this essay is to connect concepts and the course objectives related to forbidding psychological science which I enrolled in at Florida Agri heathenish and Mechanical University (FAMU) spring 2009 term. The compendium for this essay is in a chronological age order starting line from my birth in 1988 till my current experience at FAMU.The defend that is mainly referenced in this essay is the Kobi K. Kambon textbook African/ glum psychological science in American Context An African Centered undertake along with Joseph Baldwins class lectures that I attended. Divided Among two unalike Views of the World But this is my Story The idea that a mysterious person is from Portland, Oregon seems to be shocking information fo r certain African-Americans. Once I introduce myself to new friends and professors who never traveled to Portland or were never inform that blacken people live in Oregon.Many are intrigued by this information and see a quest to know more. So to perform that question, yes on that point are blacks who live in Oregon. I am a product of Oregon I, Michelle Williams, was born and raised in the urban residential district in Portland amongst separate African-Americans. One may assume that I had a difficult time evolution up in Oregon. Experiencing discrimination, racism, or identity crisis however, my six siblings and I never did. Although, I did not experience those types of issues, I understood that in Portland, the shadowy race was the barbarianity and Europeans were the majority in the race factor.In addition, do not assume that my family lineage still lines in Oregon, on both sides of my family s come forwardherly roots run deep. Therefore, southern traditions, set, morals , beliefs, and customs were inbreeded into my up brings. Without questions, I am an African-American woman from Portland, Oregon however, my geographic region does not define my blackness, nor does it determine if I am capable of experiencing hardships like my fellow peers who were raised in Confederate states.In my early childhood, I resided with my maternal grandmother due to my parents ab custom to their environment and the use of narcotics. However, my time spent with my grandmother was not in vein, yet filled with years of observing and learning how to conserve traditional southern values, which the modern world of psychological science considers the African/ Black Worldviews. In the book, African/ Black Psychology in the American mise en scene An African- Centered Approach Kobi K.Kambon explains the difference between the African/ Black and European Worldviews. The four comp championnts that compose the worldviews are cosmology, ontology, axiology, and epistemology (Kambon, 1998) In the African/ African-American worldviews unrivaled are taught to believe in unrivalled and only(a)ness/ harmony with nature, survival of the group, humdrum whereas the European Worldview have the notion of survival of the fittest, competiveness, independence, and uniqueness (organism different).In my heart and soul childhood my parents redirected their life, and my mother returned to college and obtained her bachelors and masters in Psychology 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 surroundings reinforced the black/African-American Worldviews in the household. I recall myself adapting to the ideologies and beliefs of those who were not within my own indigenous cultural group.Kambon defines this experience as a black child who has been influenced by Eurocentric teachings resulting in Abnormal abno rmal Circumstances. The child has accepted and identified him or herself as a member of a group that is not indigenous cultural worldly concern (Kambon, 1998). I was able to bounce back to the normal-nature circumstances, with the help of my Black community friends, and family through our morals and beliefs. I had to stay received 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 freshs to dictate and define what was appropriate or correct based get rid of their standards and views on life. By this I allowed the notion that white Barbie dolls are better, alternatively than the Black China Doll 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 put also known as the TAG program.The TAG programs honor s and congratulates students who demonstrated great(p) abilities or potentials in areas of general intellectual ability or unique(predicate) ability aptitude (Davenport Community School Website). After discovering the truth in the Black Psychology course, I have shine to the understanding that this cross program has several flaws that discriminates against the Black race. The black students who excel above the standards fit out for Blacks are called Talented or Gifted. In chapter eight it give tongue to that there was some Blacks who scored as high as Whites on ideal tests of so-called cognizance (i.e research on Black gifted children) (Kambon, 1998).The cornerstone of the Tag program continues and supports White Supremacy. The definition the European psychologist use to define cognition which were examined on Caucasians only was (a) the repertoire of intellectual/cognitive skills and knowledge available to a person at any one period of time, or (b) the aggregate of global capacity of the individual to act purposely, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his/her environment (Kambon,1998).The names of a couplet of exams that exemplified that one was intelligent were The Alfred Binet and the Binet analyze, also known as Intelligence Quotient/ IQ, Charles Spearman with the GS divisor test, and a few others (Kambon, 1998). Robert L. Williams the second National Chairman/ President of American of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) (Kambon, 1998), developed 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 Test for pagan Homogeneity formally known as BITCH. His intelligence test showcased that African-American students were out performing whites by 30 to 50 points (Kambon, 1998). In relations to my acceptance to the TAG program I tangle a sense of being privileged, superior, and connected to the white race in so me sense. I belittled my peers who the Europeans and the test scored them as being underachievers. by means of my actions I had continued on the European worldviews.The people see the rock-steady that the TAG program promotes however, there are down sides and negative characteristics of being called a Talented 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 closely western archives, colonization in Africa, slavery, and anything that focused on the Black race. Now aspect back on what transpired in high school I was nerve-wracking to discover the truth regarding my peoples.I tried to unravel the mess that the Europeans, westward historians, philosophers, and psychologist created. Removing the blind folds that had been mooraged over my eyes through the European teachings I was tired of receiving the edi ted, shorten, and beautified story the teachers and academic curriculum spoon-feed me every year during the one month Blacks are allowed to celebrate their history (February). I have come to accept that knowledge is key 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, particularly other individuals (Kambon, 119). In todays 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 nursing major interested in psychology, sideline siblings footsteps of attending a Historical Black University. My expedi tion in the Black Psychology has taught me new things about my personality and where I come from. In my opinion Oregon is a diverse and manifold state. I had adopted and balanced the different worldviews. From my secondary education I have come to a new found knowledge about this Black Psychology and its striving for perfection in the Black communities.I have come to understand that my people are from the Southern or African Cradle, which developed before the Northern or European Cradle a model Diop (Kambon, 1998). I am from the lineage of notorious Pharaohs and Queens such as Narmar, Pharaoh and Queen who whore the red and white crown Hatshepsut (Abarry, 1996). For years information has been hidden and sheltered from my peers and I. non 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 learned that I am a descendant of great Queens and Kings and Africans who were educated, governed themselves , ran a prospering economy that was developed in many aspects before the 1500s when Europeans arrived. antediluvian patriarch Kemit (KMT) and the Maat which is the foundation in which the KMT people lived by (Abarry, 1996). I have grown accustomed to both Western and this new psychology called Black Psychology. I am able to observe and in full understand and acknowledge 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 movement on civil rights and black psychologist making a change for the black community. Such as the Pan-African Cultural nationalism movement group who where Black Psychologist who advocate that race and finis are the foundation of African self-identity and psychological well being (Kambon, 1998). Black psychology has do tremendous accomplishments they have challenged the ideals and ideologies of Western Psychology. Rather than being the blinded test mice used in Western Psychology, Black psychologist has made a mark 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 overcome many obstacles that have been presented in front of them, and will continue to do so for adjacent years to come (Kamon, 1998). I find that my mind was once held draped in a sense, before I entered college under Eurocentric teachings.I upheld the ideas of Eurocentric teachings, yet the status quo has changed in favor 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 abstract incarceration (Kambon, 1998). The portrait the European psychologists painted th rough their views and studies of the black race, personality, genial health, and behavioral problems have not reflected the Black people in anyway. On the contrary it has caused a separation between blacks.Those who believed in 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 members of the Association of Black Psychology, there is a psychology that focuses on the black community which is not delimitate by the West ern Psychology standards. It is up to students like me to utilize the all important(p) tools from courses like Black Psychology, and turn a deaf ear to the myths and delusory information that the Western Psychology once succeeded at incarcerating. This was my experience from growing up in Portland, Oregon and making a much learn journey to Florida A&M University which landed me a seat in Dr.Joseph Baldwin course Black Psychology. References Abarry, S. , Asante, M. ,(1996). African intellectual Heritiage. Philadelphia, PA Temple call down 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- centered approach. Tallahassee, Fl Nubian Nation Publication.