Recognizing the Psychological and Cultural Strengths of Black Americans

This book examines the cultural beliefs and practices of Black folks in relation to psychological strength. Divided into four parts, the book begins with a discussion on the history of African civilizations, including an analysis of faiths, architecture, and cultural diversity of the continent, followed by a meaningful dialogue on the history of slavery and plantations in North America. The later sections are a study on the contribution of the African American community towards America's prosperity. The book explores cultural values as a source of power, and uses historical, social, and psychological research to construct a framework of Black cultural values and psychological resolve. The author offers practical applications and interventions to demonstrate how this framework can be applied to training and policy matters on both individual and systemic levels. Recognizing the Psychological and Cultural Strengths of Black Americans is essential reading for students and academics in the fields of Psychology, Sociology, Critical Race Theory, Political Science, and other related disciplines. It will also be a useful resource for professionals including policy makers, psychologist, counsellors, educators, and social workers.

Robert T. Carter is Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Education at the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. He has devoted his career to issues of race and culture as they impact primarily people of color. He is known internationally for his work on racism, race-based traumatic stress, and racial identity ego statuses. He has authored more than 130 articles and 9 books. More recently he writes about the traumatic stress effects of racial discrimination and Black culture.

Introduction: My Journey to Discover Black People's Cultural Roots Part 1 Africans at Home 01 African Civilizations and Culture 02 African Life and Ways Expressed in Cultural Patterns Part 2 Africans in the New World 03 Building a Life in the New World from the Foundations of the Old 04 The First Generation of Slaves and Servants 05 The Rise of the Plantation in the Colonies 06 The Revolutionary Era and Beyond Part 3 Africans' Conversion to American Life and Their Contributions to Its Prosperity 07 The Expanded Union and Blacks as the Engine for Progress 08 Black Freedom Blocked: The Churches, Land, and Schools 09 Jim Crow Reality 10 A Century of Black Activism, 1920s-2020s Part 4 Integrating Black Cultural Strengths into Psychological Practice 11 Elements of Black Culture 12 Critical Differences among Blacks and Others Regarding Race and Cultural Value Preferences 13 Applications for Black Cultural Strengths in Training and Practice 14 Applications to Programming and Policy