Akbar Papers In African Psychology

Akbar Papers In African Psycholog_~ Na'imAkbar PLACE~' EVERYONeS 1356 W. NORTH AVENUE BALTIMORE, MD 21217 (410) 728-0877 MIND ~ PRODUCIIONS © MiodProdo"tio", & A""",,,,". JO". 324 N. Copeland Street Tallahassee. FL 32304 Phone 850-222-1764' Fax 850-224-5331 www.naimakbar.com '\) ~ TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE FOREWORD Alvin Turner Jerome Schiele 11\ lNTRODUCfION I. The Opening A. Voodoo or IQ: An Introduction to African Psychology 3 IT. The Afrocentric Paradigm (Overvicw) 27 A. Paradigms ofAfrican American Research 32 B. Evolution of Human Psychology for African Americans 55 1II. Concepts of African Personality (Overview) 89 A. Mhcan Roots of Black Personality 93 B. Cultural Expressions ofAfrican Personality 107 C. Rhythmic Patterns of Black Personality 123 D. African Metapsychology of Human Personality 135 lY. African American Mental Health (Overview) 155 A. Mental Disorders ofAfrican Americans 160 B. Awareness: Key to Black Mental Health 179 V. Nile Valley Origins ofthe Science ofthe Mind (Overview) 195 A. Nile Valley Origins ofthe Science ofthe Mind 199 VI. Epilogue (Overview) 217 A. Afrocentricity: The Challenge ofImplementation 221 BIBLIOGRAPHY 225 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 231 lNDEX 233 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 237 I j j Akbar Papers in A/i-ican PJ)'c!Jology j j Finally, Na'im is a national and international treasure. This book provides the reader an opportunity to more completely know him and to understand and appreciate his vision of us as hurnan beings on this earth. j Alvin Turner, Ph.D. j j j j j j j j j j j j ii j J FOREWORD I first met Dr. Na'imAkbar in 1974 when I was only 13. Known then as Dr. Luther Weems, I met him in two roles: I) as my only sibling and elder brother's psychology professor at Morehouse College, and 2) as an assistant minister in the Atlanta, Georgia Nation of Islam temple. Since my brother joined the Nation around the same time as did Dr. Weems, my parents and I traveled to Atlanta in 1974 ona fact-finding mission to seewhatthis "Muslim thing"wa~ all about. I use the phrase "Muslim thing" because I believe that during that time, as it is today in the post 9/1 I world, most Americans who are Christian view Islam with considerable suspicion. That suspicion also was relevant to my parents since my father was a Baptist preacher and my mother was a sincere and devoted minister's wife. So, my first meeting of Dr. Akbar was during a time of significant, personal family conflict, a conflict between a son's desire to boldly embrace a differenttheology he believed was right for him and deeply concerned parents who internalized my brother's choice as a rejection of them. During our visit to Atlanta, I did not realize then that I would be exposed to one of my first formalleclures in what was the inception ofAfrican psychology. This occurred when my parents and I visited the Atlanta Nation ofIslam (N0l) temple to personally experience a NOI worship service. After being searched by FOI (Fruit ofIslam) security guards and then seated in an all male section of the temple, I was surprised to see that Dr. Akbar was the featured speaker. Those who recently have been introduced to the dynamic oratory skills of Na'im Akbar should have seen him in those days. Relatively unknown and with the advantage of youth, his delivery was much more provocative back then. The speech he gave