Recognizing and Honoring Black Pioneers in Mental Health

In celebration of Black History Month, we’d like to highlight some incredible African-American professionals who dedicated their work to desegregation and equality.

Mamie Phipps Clark, PhD
1917-1983
First black female to graduate with a doctorate in psychology from Columbia university.

Kenneth Bancroft Clark, PhD
1914-2005
First black male to graduate with a doctorate in psychology from Columbia university, first black president of the American Psychological Association.

Dr. Phipps Clark and Dr. Kenneth Clark, a married couple dedicated to ending racism and addressing the mental health needs of the black community, are most known for their doll study. This study revealed that children are affected psychologically by segregation.

This crucial evidence was used in the Brown vs. Board of Education decision to help end segregation in schools.

Inez Beverly Prosser, PhD
1895-1934
First black female to receive her doctorate degree in psychology.

Dr. Prosser’s dissertation, titled "The Non-Academic Development of Negro Children in Mixed and Segregated Schools," researched the effects of segregation on black children’s mental health.

Her research sparked the conversation about the possibility of desegregating schools.