Section I Highlights

By Cat Thompson, PhD

Section I: Psychology of Black Women was formed to raise awareness of Black women's concerns and to provide a forum where Black women can get mentoring and support from each other.

  • Our membership includes students and professionals who are enthusiastic, dedicated, and interested in networking with others for support, mentorship, and guidance. Our section has a list serve and a Face Book presence which provide opportunities for connecting to an online community that is interested in issues relevant to the Psychology of Black Women. 

  • We sponsor the Carolyn Payton Award to recognize the achievement of a Black Woman in the early stages of her career and the Graduate Student Award to acknowledge the work of a Black woman graduate student in Psychology. 

  • We provide opportunities for leadership within our section and in the division and encourage all of our members to participate in the planning of conference presentations and networking activities. We also have an active executive committee that meets via conference call monthly to connect with each other and plan events for the APA Annual Convention.

  • We have an ongoing commitment to supporting each other in our self-care as Black women managing multiple roles, and have used programming hours at convention to address this issue. This year, we are excited to engage in collaborative programs with the other sections of Division 35 and will be participating in a roundtable on trauma, coping and resilience among women of color at the APA's 2001 Annual Convention, Aug. 4-7, in Washington, DC.

  • We also collaborate with Division 45 to plan the annual dance. This year’s theme: “So you think you can dance?!” is sure to inspire your inner star. So bring your dancin’ shoes and get ready to boogie down the Soul Train line…

Exciting Things to Look For

  • The Section 1 Spring newsletter focused on Social Networking is currently available online and is fantastic! In this issue you will find articles addressing the use of social networking in psychology —What comes up when someone does a Google search on you? What to consider when thinking about how to respond to friend requests from clients on Facebook? You can also meet this year’s executive committee and check out our member spotlight.

  • For the APA Annual Convention in August 2011, our section has two hours of programming: 1) a roundtable entitled Addressing Trauma among Black Women and Girls: Research, Teaching and Practice, 2) a symposium entitled Trauma, Coping and Resilience among Black Women with Drs. Janet Helms and Nancy Boyd-Franklin.

  • Programming in the Div35/AWP Hospitality Suite focused on self-care and community building. We look forward to seeing you there!