Often referred to as one of the Godfathers of Black Psychology in the United States, Dr. Joseph L. White profoundly impacted the field of psychology.
Born in Lincoln, NE in 1932, Dr. White received bachelor’s and master’s degrees at San Francisco State University. Through professional networks, he was connected to the faculty at Michigan State University, who invited him to join the doctoral program in clinical psychology. In 1961, Dr. White graduated at the top of his class and officially became the first African American recipient of an MSU doctoral degree in clinical psychology.
While at Michigan State University, Dr. White participated actively in setting the foundation for African American intellectual life at MSU and counted Malcolm X — and later Martin Luther King — in his intellectual and activist circles.
From 1962-1968, Dr. White taught at California State University, Long Beach. In 1969, he joined the University of California faculty, where he spent most of his career as a researcher, educator, and administrator.
In 1968, White co-founded the Association of Black Psychologists. Believing that psychology should work for communities, Dr. White published an influential article in Ebony magazine “Toward A Black Psychology” in 1970. This article is credited as the first strengths-based rather than deficit-based evaluation and description of Black behavior and culture within US psychology.
Throughout his prolific career as a scholar and leader in the diversification of psychology, Dr. White published a variety of works including books titled, The Psychology of Blacks, The Troubled Adolescent, and Black Man Emerging among others. He continued to be active as scholar until his passing in 2017.
Dr. White was renowned for his work, scholarship, and on the mentoring of scholars from underrepresented groups. He chaired over 100 doctoral dissertations, helped start the California Educational Opportunity Program, which has helped more than 300,000 disadvantaged students have access to education.
During his career, Dr. White received numerous accolades, including a Citation of Achievement in Psychology and Community Service, presented by President Bill Clinton in 1994; the Janet E. Helms Award for mentoring and scholarship in psychology and education, presented by the annual Winter Roundtable on Cultural Psychology and Education at Columbia University in 2003; an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Minnesota in 2007; Alumnus of the Year from San Francisco State University in 2008; a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association in 2015.
In 1996, during its 50-year anniversary, MSU’s clinical psychology program selected Dr. White as its most outstanding graduate. He was a transformational figure who left an enduring mark on psychology and its inclusion of others.
To those of us who had the privilege of knowing him, he was a kind, brilliant, and fearless soul, who could nurture the potential of others and was exceedingly generous with his time and talents.
For more information about Dr. Joseph White:
Featured Psychologist with the American Psychological Association
