The legacy of Kenneth B. Clark to the APA: The Board of Social and Ethical Responsibility for Psychology.

Abstract

faced many challenges beginning around 1965, including the challenge to make psychology more inclusive of traditionally underrepresented groups. The larger context of social unrest and public and political focus on social problems framed these challenges. This article describes the events that led to the establishment of the Board of Social and Ethical Responsibility for Psychology in 1972 and highlights the role of Kenneth B. Clark in those events. As you know, the Association is faced with many complex problems with many voices, some of them strident and impatient, proposing solutions. You will be able to contribute much to our task of finding sensible solutions. (Hobbs, 1965a, p. 1) Editor's note. This History of Psychology section was developed by Wade E. Pickren.

The history and visions of African American psychology: Multiple pathways to place, space, and authority.

“…This decision also was notable for two other reasons: (a) It was the first Supreme Court decision to involve the citation of psychological data, and (b) the primary architect in the compilation and use of those data was an African American psychologist-Kenneth B. Clark, PhD (Benjamin & Crouse, 2002;J. P. Jackson, 2006;Pickren & Tomes, 2002).…”

“…BSPA opens offices in the APA building in Washington, DC, with APA providing 3 years of funding; Ernestine Thomas is the office's director and BSPA national coordinator (Figueroa-Garcia, 1994;Williams, 1974). Kenneth B. Clark, an African American who previously served as the first Black on the APA Board of Directors, becomes the first person of color to become APA president (Pickren & Tomes, 2002;Street, 1994). In response to demands of the Black Psychiatrists of America, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Center for Minority Group Mental Health Programs is established with a focus on (a) funding investigator-initiated studies on the mental health concerns of ethnic minorities; (b) establishing and administering six research and development centers, each of which focuses on mental health needs of a particular racial/cultural group; and (c) initiating the Minority Fellowship Program, which provides funding to five professional associations including APA to administer minority fellowships for research and clinical training in psychiatry, psychology, psychiatric nursing, psychiatric social work, and sociology (Guzman et al, 1992;Parron, 1990).…”

“…The Association of Non-White Concerns in Personnel and Guidance is founded as a division of the American Personnel and Guidance Association (APGA) with voting rights in both APGA's Senate and on its Board of Directors. As a result of a vote of the APA membership, the APA Board for Social and Ethical Responsibility for Psychology is established with a mandate that includes issues related to minority participation in psychology (Pickren & Tomes, 2002). Joseph Hodges, Ura Jean Oyemade, Graham Matthews, and others convene the first meeting of African Americans interested in child development research (BICD)-the forerunner of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Black Caucus-with goals related to professional networking and support, linkage with other groups with similar interests in Black children, development of a position paper on its relationship with SRCD, and promotion of research and discussions on issues of significant for Black researchers and Black children.…”

“…This petition addressed the three major issues that would serve as organizing principles for future professional organization activities of persons of color in psychology. These issues were (a) the low numbers of Black psychologists and Black graduate students in psychology, (b) APA's failure both to direct its scientific and professional energies toward the solution of permanent social concerns-particularly those of poverty and racism-and to address social problems of concern to communities of color (e.g., the Kerner Report on Civil Disorders; IQ testing), and (c) the inadequate representation of Blacks in the APA governance structure (Baker, 2003;Pickren & Tomes, 2002;Williams, 1974Williams, , 2008. The petition included specific proposals for addressing these issues (Williams, 1974(Williams, , 2008.…”

The social control of behavior control: Behavior modification,individual rights, and research ethics in America, 1971–1979

“…The American public was faced with a number of pressing domestic and international concerns, including the war in Vietnam, the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, the frequently violent adjustment of American society to the implications of the Civil Rights Act, and, eventually, the Watergate hearings. Fueled by this ferment, many psychologists demanded institutional change within psychology's national organization, the American Psychological Association (APA), both to make it more responsive to the diversity of its membership (see Astin et al, 1972;Pickren & Tomes, 2002) and to create a greater role for psychology in promoting social justice.In 1971, the same year Skinner published his intensely controversial social commentary Beyond Freedom and Dignity, 4 the newly elected president of the APA, Kenneth B. Clark, delivered a highly unusual presidential address in which he advocated research on the chemical control of power abuse and made a plea to behavioral scientists to become involved in addressing moral issues. One reporter described Clark's surprising speech this way:…”