Does Black History Matter for Black Americans’ Wellness?

As a graduate student, I was a teaching assistant for what I perceived and experienced as a transformative course: The Psychology of the African American Experience. This was a course unlike any other that I had been exposed to in my studies to that point. It was a learning space entirely focused on understanding the psychological nuances of Black people’s lives from the perspectives of Black scholars. I can remember each class meeting entering into that course and there being an energy among the students of constant curiosity and a desire to learn more. As the course progressed, I witnessed a shift in the students, particularly among Black students, as they learned about themselves and their communities through the lens of Black psychology—a lens that not only centers the experiences of Black people but one that identifies history as foundational to how a person shows up and moves through the world. It was humbling to witness and also experience the deep pride, determination, collective grieving and uplift, critical consciousness, frustration, and connection born out of discussions about who Black people are and have been in this world.

Fast forward years later to a meeting with a colleague who asks, “How is history relevant to the psychology of Black people?” Given my experiences as a teaching assistant, I recall feeling a little stunned by the question. At that moment, I also realized this question reflected a particular orientation to the study of psychology, one that perhaps acknowledged cultural and historical context exists but not one that considered history and heritage as central to mental health and wellness for Black people. Now, teaching a course of my own that, too, centers on the connection between history and psychology for Black people, I am often reminded of how important it is to be a part of conversations that help reorient the psychology of Black people’s experiences to center history and heritage.

Historical Context and Psychology

The notion of historical context as peripheral to psychology is certainly not new. There has long existed a tension as to how or to what degree to consider historical contexts or narratives to understand the psychology of Black people as well as racially and ethnically marginalized groups more generally. Merely considering the fact that topics such as culture and race, and by extension consideration for history, were not a part of social science research and theory until the latter half of the 20th century, illustrates the unique relationship between psychology and history. Culture and associated historical narratives were viewed as nuanced and irrelevant in light of theories that presumed universal human experiences.

How, though, can human experiences be universal when the experience of human history is not universal? In the book Afrocentricity, professor and philosopher Molefi Kete Asante reminds us that “the true character of a people resides in how they relate their history to the present and the future.” Indeed, while much of the human experience may be conceived of as universal (e.g., people desire connection, experience emotion, etc.), the ways in which people come to make meaning of their experiences, live in the present, and conceive of their futures is deeply defined by and connected to their history and heritage, this is the case for Black people.

Importance of Black History

Black psychologists and scholars invested in multiculturalism and social justice in psychology have been and remain steadfast in the belief that history, full and accurate history, provides fertile ground for psychological wellness rooted in the humanity, brilliance, and perseverance of Black people. In fact, Black psychologists like the late Asa G. Hilliard III articulate that history has been as a compass for Black people’s educational, psychological, and social freedom dating back to ancient Africa.

Hilliard’s position about the importance of history for Black people has been demonstrated in research studies that illustrate the connection between Black history and psychological outcomes. Adams-Bass (2014), for example, found that Black youth who were knowledgeable about Black history were less likely to endorse stereotypical and pejorative media images of Black people. The scholarship also illustrates that one’s exposure to Black history positively impacts racial identity development (Chapman-Hilliard and Beasley, 2018). In other words, Black history has been empirically demonstrated to shape how Black people interpret the world around them and influence their ideas about the self as well as the collective.

Further pointing out the importance of history for Black people’s wellness, Maulana Karenga writes, “History is the substance and the mirror of a people’s humanity in others’ eyes as well as in their own eyes. It is . . . not only what they have done, but also a reflection of who they are, what they can do, and equally important, what they can become as a result of the past which reveals their possibilities.” I imagine if I were to respond to my colleague now about how history is relevant to the psychology of Black people, I would share that the histories of Black people across the globe give rise to endless possibilities for psychological wellness. Some may view the resistance, joy, hope, and thriving apparent among Black communities as a collection of individual stories or narratives that do not intersect. Yet, Black history teaches us that these stories reflect the interconnected possibilities of so many that paved the way, sometimes when there seemed to be no way.

History is made every day, and when Black people are connected to possibility through knowledge of their history, to the undeniable courage of their ancestry, experiences of health, healing, and wholeness have no bounds, only possibilities.