I hold the position of National Secretary as critical, if not essential, to the well-being of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi). If elected, I would accept this position in recognition that the raison d’entre of any organization is to protect, project, defend, and define the set of ideas that reflect the interest and image of the people it serves.  The ABPsi was founded as a professional organization of Black Psychologists who were devoted to and pledged themselves to defend the psychological well-being of African people world-wide. In doing so, they gave birth to a set of ideas that emerged as the discipline of the AfricanBlack.

            An organization’s secretary is the key position necessary and critical to the recording and capturing of its institutional memory and vision. Without accurate recording of institutional memory and vision, no ideas can stand the test of time. Without ideas, no institution or organization can preserve and protect the image and interest of its people.  This is, in part, the philosophy I bring to the ABPsi and under which I would serve the ABPsi membership as National Secretary.

            My two year tenure as Recording Secretary of the DC Chapter, ABPsi has prepared me well for the responsibilities of National Secretary.  As the Recording Secretary of DC Chapter, ABPsi, I have served our membership by documenting our institutional memory and vision.  To achieve this aim, I’ve provided detailed minutes of general body and executive board meetings.    These minutes were referenced for continuity and consistency in the vision guiding the rebirth and growth of our chapter.  Our revitalized sense of purpose, energy, and strength is the driving force behind current membership recruitment and retention efforts, education and training events, and Student Circle and community service initiatives in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.  With the documentation of these initiatives, the DC Chapter, ABPsi is in the process of developing a lasting foundation with ideas that will withstand the test of time. 

Distillation and dissemination of information to the local membership and community are essential for others to understand the vision and goal of the ABPsi.  at large.  My vision is for the ABPsi to be a household name representing healing and community involvement. When African or White people say the ABPsi, they should know who we are, what we do, our legacy, our history. To accomplish this, the ABPsi needs to be visible and active in the community, serving African people by helping them to heal by re-learning to be true to their values and experiences.  If elected as National Secretary, I would serve the ABPsi’s larger vision by promoting its involvement in community service projects, activism, and research. I would record, distill, and disseminate results of these efforts to our membership and the larger community.  As the ABPsi transitions in leadership, I would provide access to institutional memory to sustain current efforts while we begin new initiatives and plan future activities.

Internally, we are an organization with a great legacy of strength, community service, and activism. During the next four years, one of our greatest internal challenges will be restoring balance between academic debates and activism.  Caution is a valued quality in any organization. However, we have hesitated for so long that we are having an identity crisis.  Our younger generation no longer knows what the ABPsi represents.  They ask “What has the ABPsi done lately?” and “Why should I be involved?”  Externally, many Blacks and Whites lack knowledge of our existence and identity. 

Another internal challenge is the continuity of community service and research projects from one tenure of leadership to the next.   The ABPsi’s legacy of ingenuity includes conducting NIH grant funded research on HIV in African people.  Where is this project now? Has it simply been lost in the annuals of time as leadership transitioned from one person to the next?

One of our greatest strengths is that we are uniquely positioned with community connections.  Our membership has access to community organizations that would welcome mobilization of activism.  A great strength of the ABPsi is that we have the capacity to groom our younger generation to become the next cohort of leaders, activists, historians, researchers, healers, and clinicians.  Many of the elders of the ABPsi are still living, maintaining our oral history. Our organization’s youth can be molded and training directly the by the people who shaped the development of this life changing organization. 

I address the challenges facing the ABPsi simply encouraging it to act. We simply need to do - to   embrace community service, activism, and research.  Much of our debate seem to focus around finding the “one” right answer. Within our African consciousness, there are multiple solutions to a problem.  Acceptance of multi-faceted solutions breeds freedom to embrace various smaller projects promoting healing of African communities.   One such community service/activism project adopted by ABPsi could be the healing and supporting Black communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  Another could be to revitalize the HIV research initiative.  Our student leadership could continue to be mentored through the recently re-birthed Jengaship program.  Additional leadership and professional development opportunities for students/early career professionals could be attendance of a research and writing/publication workshop and a seminar on how students can earn money working in their career field during graduate school. 

Dissemination of information about the ABPsi’s initiatives is vitally important for membership and others understanding our vision, goals, and achievements.  If elected to serve the ABPsi membership as National Secretary, I would bring the same philosophy, energy, and work ethic to the national organization that I have used in the local DC Chapter.  I would diligently work to preserve and document the ABPsi’s institutional memory and vision, to maintain continuity and in the vision and focus guiding the mission of the ABPsi, and to support the organization’s efforts in develop our student/early career professionals and promoting healing of the African community.