Developmental Psychology of the Black Child by Amos N. Wilson

The psychological theories that developed into contemporary Black psychology have roots that are deeply embedded in Africana diasporic intellectual traditions. The development of concepts and theories in African/Black psychology has been documented (Jones, 2006) in an attempt to highlight and preserve the intellectual history and institutional memory of African/Black psychology

This cursory review of the psychological literature attempts to fill that void by examining some of the major issues, concepts, and themes addressed in African/Black psychology, as well as identifying a few neglected areas and offering suggestions for future research directions in the discipline. The absence leaves a void in the literature for those seeking an accurate account of the ideas that shape contemporary Black thought. Yet the impact of these contributions made by Black psychologists have often been marginalized and rendered invisible within the overall context of Black intellectual thought. While this is not an exhaustive treatment of all of Kambon’s major works, it is an attempt to provide a theoretical and conceptual sketch of the intellectual influences, the intellectual contributions and the intellectual spaces in which his scholarly activity took place.Īn impressive body of psychological literature exists that attests to the amount of intellectual labor put forth by Black psychologists in developing and implementing unique approaches to understanding people of African descent. Kobi Kambon is an internationally renowned scholar in African-centered psychology, Black personality, mental health and cultural oppression. This brief intellectual portrait uses the pioneering work of Kobi Kambon as a representative model of important ideas discussed in African-centered psychology.

Intellectual histories allow us to uncover the intellectual antecedents and trace the theoretical steps of the great thinkers that set the foundation for the road contemporary scholars travel. Yet, there are pertinent issues addressed in the literature and the various discourses emanating from the literature produced by African-centered psychologists. Scholars engaged in the history of ideas have given very little attention, if any, to the intellectual history of African-centered psychological thought.

Developmental Psychology of the Black Child by Amos N. Wilson