A Brazilian in The ABPsi: Experiences of the Diaspora

Participating in The Association of Black Psychologists’ 42nd Annual International Convention was the fulfillment of a relationship that began by internet in 2009. After my graduation as a psychologist, I started looking for a theoretical foundation that could support a specific practice about the mental health of Black people. I wasn’t quite sure about what I was looking for, but I knew that European theories were inadequate for what I wanted to do. In January, I found the ABPsi website and in May I was presented with the book “Afrocentricidade – uma abordagem epistemológica inovadora” (“Afrocentricity: An Epistemological Approach Breakthrough,” edited by Elisa Larkin Nascimento, 2009). This text introduced a number of Brazilian and African American theorists, including Elisa Larkin Nascimento (the editor), Molefi Kete Asante, Asa G. Hilliard III, Maulana Karenga and Wade N. Nobles.

In Brazil, the discussion about psychology and Black populations is still early; it has only been a few years that people have organized to discuss the matter. Until then, isolated publications served as references, such as the studies of Maria Aparecida Bento and Neusa Santos Souza. Despite this, many of us have difficulty finding faculty advisors to conduct our research on this topic. And the dominant survival strategy in Brazilian universities is Whitening, both personally and in your theory. You have to pretend you don’t want to study Black populations in order to be accepted by White teachers. After some time of pretense, many persons come to believe in their own hypocrisy. In other moments, when our original research proposals are accepted, we must use European theories and theorists.

The epistemological Whitening is imperative in Brazilian universities just to thwart theoretical advances in the discussion of race relations, and to keep the debate on the topic of pathologizing Black existence. It means that Africans are the causes of their own problems. When I discovered the existence of Black intellectuals who had a theoretical leather with deep roots in African Philosophy, that knot was untied. This Whitening is also seen as a limitation between activism and the university, a place that is believed to be scientificly neutral. This is particularly problematic when we consider that the choice of a research topic is based on some subjective engagement with the issues of interest.

African-Brazilian psychologists need to know new references to deal with our community. They need to stop fearing to seek sources different from the classic European thinkers. For some time I felt marginalized, as a psychologist, for working with hip-hop culture and Black youth. Many psychologists are interested in community work, but insist on keeping a distance that does nothing to help the communities. And this distance is expressed by the silence around the issues that racism causes.

Hip-hop culture is the root of much of the forcefulness of my speech, as well as the recognition and the pride I feel for my ethnicity. I admit, also, that even among Black psychologists, Afrocentric thinking is not well accepted and I’ve experienced this rejection.

The exchange experiences that I had at the 2010 Convention of The ABPsi showed me a range of options, approaches and methods that can be performed under the paradigm of Afrocentricity. The quality of the presentations, with special attention given to family and community, were the things that drew my attention. A focus on community, paying attention that we are part of it, therefore, reminds us that we are beneficiaries or victims of what happen to the community. In addition, I was happy to see the special attention given to the elderly and how the dialogue between them and young people is also encouraged. After all, they are our roots and worked so hard to improve our current circumstances.

I returned to my country with a seed in my heart that compels me to open a chapter of ABPsi on Brazilian territory. I intend to start with a group of students, because I have much to learn and in a group it would be easier.

Thanks to all members of The ABPsi family who welcomed me so warmly. This was the first time I left Brazil, and I started by visiting the right place.

The author can be contacted at roberta@riseup.net

* Este texto foi publicado originalmente na revista Psych Discourse, v44-5, em Novembro de 2010. Sua versão eletrônica está disponível no link: http://pd-online.abpsi.org/index.ph...