February honors Black History Month, a time to acknowledge the profound legacy, resilience and achievements of Black/African American communities across the United States. This year’s national theme — A Century of Black History Commemorations — recognizes 100 years of intentional celebration, remembrance and preservation of Black history. Rooted in the work of Carter G. Woodson, Ph.D. who led the establishment of Black History Month, and the founders of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), the theme invites us to reflect on how these annual observances have shaped cultural understanding, identity and movements for justice across generations.
At Pacific Clinics, we carry this legacy forward by uplifting the Black/African American mental health professionals whose leadership continues to transform behavioral health systems. Their contributions advance culturally-responsive care, challenge systemic inequities and expand access to mental health services in ways that strengthen and empower Black communities.
We celebrate trailblazers, including:
- Joy DeGruy, Ph.D. — Renowned scholar whose research on Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome has reframed national conversations on racial trauma and healing.
- Beverly Greene, Ph.D. — Pioneering psychologist whose intersectional frameworks have strengthened clinical practice for Black women, LGBTQ+ communities and individuals living at multiple social margins.
- Rita (Rheeda) Walker, Ph.D. — Clinical psychologist and author whose work on Black mental health, resilience and stigma has reshaped both community-based and clinical approaches.
- Thomas A. Parham, Ph.D. — Longstanding advocate of Afrocentric psychology, education equity, and culturally grounded counseling models that affirm identity and cultural pride.
- Francis Cecil Sumner, Ph.D. — The ‘Father of Black Psychology’, who became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in psychology, established the psychology department at Howard University, whose work examined how the criminal justice system impacted African Americans’ mental health.
- Inez Beverly Prosser, Ph.D. — The first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in Psychology, whose research documented how racial inequality and segregation affected the mental health of African American children, which provided crucial evidence for early school desegregation efforts.
- Kenneth Bancroft Clark, Ph.D. — Co-conductor of the famous “Doll Studies” with his wife, which provided empirical evidence that segregation damaged Black children’s self-esteem and racial identity, whose work became central to the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision. He later served as the first Black president of the American Psychological Association and as the first African American appointed to the New York State Board of Regents.
- Joseph White, Ph.D. — Often called the ‘Godfather of Black Psychology’, who spent decades advocating for mental health approaches that honored Black cultural experiences and helped establish the National Association of Black Psychologists.
- Rheeda Walker, Ph.D. — Clinical psychologist and author whose work on Black mental health, resilience and stigma has reshaped both community-based and clinical approaches. Her research addresses mental health disparities and suicide prevention in Black communities, culminating in ‘The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health’.
Learn more about Black/African American mental health pioneers here.
This year’s theme reminds us that commemoration is not passive; it is an active tool for healing and transformation. For Black/African American communities, the practice of remembering from emancipation anniversaries to civil rights milestones has long served as an assertion of dignity, agency and collective strength.
As we mark a century of commemorating Black history, let us celebrate visibly, learn intentionally and continue advancing a workplace where Black excellence flourishes year-round.
