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Black Psychologists Celebrate 50th Anniversary, June 27-July 1, at The Marriott Oakland City Center

Published

8 years ago

June 25, 2018

By Theopia Jackson, PhD

Oakland has a long history of activism dedicated to the uplifting of Black communities. The city was the birthplace of the Black Panther Movement in 1968, and more recently the birthplace of Ryan Coogler, director of the Black Panther movie—a cultural phenomenon and a worldwide game-changer.

The Association of Black Psychologists, Inc. (ABPsi) was forged in the bosom of Oakland’s activist history in 1968. The founders, including several Bay Area residents such as Wade Nobles, who was a graduate student at the time, Joseph White, Reginald Jones, and others, boldly challenged the American Psychological Association (APA) to critique its science/practice by taking culture into consideration (e.g., a group’s practices and beliefs).

It was apparent to these scholars that comparing Blacks to whites and interpreting the difference as something lacking in Blacks (and defining treatment accordingly) was well off the mark and potentially damaging.

This activist spirit informed the landmark Larry P. court case that addressed the misuse of intelligence tests in California, resulting in the overrepresentation of African-American children in special education.

As a licensed clinical psychologist, I am forever grateful to Black scholars in establishing the field of Black psychology.

I can recall my early training and intimately feeling like the messages about Black families and how to work with them felt alienating; simply not how I knew my people. For example, I knew that the prevalence of single-parent households was not a cultural value as much as a result of complex social contexts.

Engaging with the members of ABPsi expanded my awareness of Black psychology, which was not integrated in my education 30 years ago and still isn’t today for many. Through this scholarship, it became clear that my education and training settings could give me what is needed to be a good psychologist yet not an effective Black psychologist or healer.

My experience is not unique, particularly when reflecting on the realization that only four percent of all psychologists identified as Black/African American in 2016—a consistent finding for years.

The challenge for many Black mental health professionals, especially psychologists, trained in predominately white settings, has mirrored the seminal caution purported by Carter Goodwin Woodson in his 1933 book, Mis-Education of the Negro: “When you control a (person’s) thinking, you do not have to worry about (their) actions.”

The mission of ABPsi serves as an inoculation for many Black professionals and begs questions of the field like:

What does optimal mental health look like from a culturally-centered or culturally-affirming place for Black folks?
What are the mental health interventions or treatment that promotes such development for persons of African ancestry?
From a social justice and trauma-informed perspective, what is the role of mental health services in countering the adverse impact of psychological terrorism when Black Americans are exposed to the highly publicized trauma of Black children and adults being killed unnecessarily by law enforcement with no one held accountable?

Inquiries such as these and others should inform questions asked by Black folk of their providers—more than simply asking for a Black provider. As our youth teach us, one needs to be ‘woke’. It shifts the problem-saturated language from ‘at-risk youth’ to social activism of ‘at-potential youth in at-risk environments.’ Healthcare services, particularly mental health, must address more than symptom reduction and contribute to the overall quality of life for those they serve.

There must be more accountability. Toward this end, it is no mistake that ABPsi returns home to Oakland where it was born to celebrate its 50th anniversary. There will be more than 500 African scholars from around the world and it is imperative that we actively engage local leaders and community folk.

The Emotional Emancipation CirclesSM, a vision of the Community Healing Network (CHN), is one example of the outcomes of such engagement.

This initiative is the first of its kind in terms of having been designed by and for persons of African ancestry in the healing from and coping with the residuals of the myth of Black inferiority and white supremacy on a global level.

More than 500 persons globally have been trained since its inception. Given the current social-political context at home and abroad, we must be more strategic and cross-trained in our work. Oakland and surrounding communities, consider this your personal invitation. We look forward to seeing you.

The ABPsi’s 50th Annual International Convention will be held June 27–July 1, 2018 at The Marriott Oakland City Center.

Please join this gathering of psychologists, university professors, health care professionals, educators, researchers, students and everyday folk.

Theopia Jackson, PhD is President-Elect (2017-2019), The Association of Black Psychologists Chair, Clinical Psychology Degree Program; Saybrook

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Rest in Peace: A.M.E. Pastor and L.A Civil Rights Icon Cecil “Chip” Murray Passes

The Rev. Dr. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray, former pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME) in Los Angeles, died of natural causes April 6 at his Windsor Hills Home. He was 94. “Today, we lost a giant. Reverend Dr. Cecil Murray dedicated his life to service, community, and putting God first in all things. I had the absolute honor of working with him, worshiping with him, and seeking his counsel,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of the dynamic religious leader whose ministry inspired and attracted millionaires as well as former gang bangers and people dealing with substance use disorder (SUD).

Published

3 weeks ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The Rev. Dr. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray, former pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME) in Los Angeles, died of natural causes April 6 at his Windsor Hills Home. He was 94.

“Today, we lost a giant. Reverend Dr. Cecil Murray dedicated his life to service, community, and putting God first in all things. I had the absolute honor of working with him, worshiping with him, and seeking his counsel,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of the dynamic religious leader whose ministry inspired and attracted millionaires as well as former gang bangers and people dealing with substance use disorder (SUD).

Murray oversaw the growth of FAME’s congregation from 250 members to 18,000.

“My heart is with the First AME congregation and community today as we reflect on a legacy that changed this city forever,” Bass continued.

Murray served as Senior Minister at FAME, the oldest Black congregation in the city, for 27 years. During that time, various dignitaries visited and he built strong relationships with political and civic leaders in the city and across the state, as well as a number of Hollywood figures. Several national political leaders also visited with Murray and his congregation at FAME, including Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Murray, a Florida native and U.S. Air Force vet, attended Florida A&M University, where he majored in history, worked on the school newspaper and pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He later attended Claremont School of Theology in Los Angeles County, where he earned his doctorate in Divinity.

Murray is survived by his son Drew. His wife Bernadine, who was a committed member of the A.M.E. church and the daughter of his childhood pastor, died in 2013.

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Court Throws Out Law That Allowed Californians to Build Duplexes, Triplexes and RDUs on Their Properties

Charter cities in California won a lawsuit last week against the state that declared Senate Bill (SB) 9, a pro-housing bill, unconstitutional. Passed in 2021, SB 9 is also known as the California Housing Opportunity and More Efficiency Act (HOME). That law permits up to four residential units — counting individual units of duplexes, triplexes and residential dwelling units (RDUs) – to be built on properties in neighborhoods that were previously zoned for only single-family homes.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

Charter cities in California won a lawsuit last week against the state that declared Senate Bill (SB) 9, a pro-housing bill, unconstitutional.

Passed in 2021, SB 9 is also known as the California Housing Opportunity and More Efficiency Act (HOME). That law permits up to four residential units — counting individual units of duplexes, triplexes and residential dwelling units (RDUs) – to be built on properties in neighborhoods that were previously zoned for only single-family homes.

A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge ruled in favor of the cities, pointing out that SB 9 discredited charter cities that were granted jurisdiction to create new governance systems and enact policy reforms. The court ruling affects 121 charter cities that have local constitutions.

Attorney Pam Lee represented five Southern California cities in the lawsuit against the state and Attorney General Rob Bonta.

“This is a monumental victory for all charter cities in California,” Lee said.

However, general law cities are excluded from the court ruling as state housing laws still apply in residential areas.

Attorney General Bonta and his team are working to review the decision and consider all options that will protect SB 9 as a state law. Bonta said the law has helped provide affordable housing for residents in California.

“Our statewide housing shortage and affordability crisis requires collaboration, innovation, and a good faith effort by local governments to increase the housing supply,” Bonta said.

“SB9 is an important tool in this effort, and we’re going to make sure homeowners have the opportunity to utilize it,” he said.

Charter cities remain adamant that the state should refrain from making land-use decisions on their behalf. In the lawsuit, city representatives argued that SB 9 eliminates local authority to create single-family zoning districts and approve housing developments.

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Funds for Down Payments and Credit Repair Given to Black First Time Homebuyers

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) won a $10,000 fair housing settlement last November against a property management company, CIM Group LP, a global real estate company headquartered in Los Angeles, and property owner, RACR Sora, LLC, for implementing a blanket ban on renting to tenants with criminal histories at Sora Apartments in Inglewood. Three months earlier, the department, which enforces California’s civil rights laws, won another $20,000 civil rights settlement against a Lemon Grove property manager, who had targeted a Black tenant with a series of racist actions and threats of violence.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

By McKenzie Jackson, California Black Media

Three months earlier, the department, which enforces California’s civil rights laws, won another $20,000 civil rights settlement against a Lemon Grove property manager, who had targeted a Black tenant with a series of racist actions and threats of violence.

CRD Director Kevin Kish said the department investigates cases of apparent racial bias in housing and sometimes more subtle acts of prejudice like nuisance-free or crime-free housing policies or holding tenants to different standards based on their race.

Kish said, “People will get evicted if they call the police. This can negatively impact victims of domestic violence. We also see these no-crime ordinances, or no-crime policies, used in racially discriminatory ways. If there is some kind of incident, and the police are called and it involves a Black family, then they get evicted, but other folks aren’t necessarily evicted.”

On April 11,1968, a week after Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, President Lydon B. Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, color, religion, and nationality.

Kish noted that William Byron Rumford, the first Black California State Assemblymember, who represented Berkley and Oakland, spearheaded the passing of the Rumford Act in 1963. That law sought to end discriminatory housing practices in the Golden State, five years before the Fair Housing Act became law.
Real estate agent and housing advocate Ashley Garner is the director of the CLTRE Keeper Home Ownership program. That organization gave 25 Black, indigenous, and people of color $17,500 each in down payment and credit repair support to purchase a home in Oak Park, a traditionally Black neighborhood in Sacramento, last fall. CLTRE obtained a $500,000 grant from the city of Sacramento to award the funds to the residents after they completed an eight-week homeownership program.

In 2021, the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) noted that around four in 10 Black California families owned homes, which trails that of White, Asian-American and Latinos.
According to Forbes, the median price for a home in California is over $500,000, which is double the cost of a home in the rest of the country.

Black lawmakers recently introduced their Reparations Priority Bill Package that includes support for Black first-time homebuyers, homeowners’ mortgage assistance and property tax relief for neighborhoods restricted by historic redlining.

California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) spokesperson Eric Johnson said CalHFA helps prospective low-income and moderate-income Californians purchase homes by offering down payment and closing cost aid. “There are lots of people who have steady jobs, good credit scores, constant income, but they haven’t been able to save up the money that traditional banks need or want to see for a down payment,” Johnson stated. “We help those folks out. We give a loan for the down payment to get them over that hurdle.”
CRD and the Department of Real Estate hosted “Fair Housing Protections for People with Criminal Histories” Zoom call on April 10.

On April 25, CRD will also hold Zoom seminars focused on advocating for fair housing for people with disabilities.