Section I: The Psychology of Black Women

President: Jioni A. Lewis

President-elect: Kerrie Wilkens

Past President: Collette Chapman-Hilliard

Secretary: Gihane Jérémie-Brink, PhD

Treasurer: Jasmine (Jas) Tilghman, PhD

Membership Committee Chair: Bianca Jones, PhD

Early Career Professional Chair: Sarah R. Cunningham, PhD

"Still I Rise" Newsletter Editor and Awards Chair: Batsirai Bvunzawabaya, PhD

Early Career Committee Representative: Telsie A. Davis, PhD

Program Chair: Kerrie G. Wilkins-Yel, PhD

Dance Chair: Julii Green, PhD 

Historian: Catherine Adams, PsyD

Student Representative: Anahvia T. Moody

Div. 35 Section I's Governance Structure and Officer Bios

Still I Rise is the publication arm and voice for Section I of Div. 35, the Psychology of Black Women. Read the latest issue as we explore issues of relevance to our section that focus on the mental health and development of black women and girls and their communities, and black women psychologists. Still I Rise is published quarterly.

To join Section I, both APA and non-APA members should use the section's sign-up form.

• To create a forum where black women can network and get mentoring and support from each other.

• To provide outreach, guidance and mentoring to black female students in psychology.

• To promote the development of methods of research and models of treatment and intervention that are ethnically, culturally and gender appropriate for black women.

• To increase scientific understanding of those aspects of ethnicity, culture and class among black women which pertain to the psychology of women.

• To maintain and increase the overall status of black women in the profession of psychology.

• To increase the quality of education and training opportunities for black women in psychology.

• To encourage the evolution and development of the specialty of the psychology of black women as a science.To advocate on behalf of black women psychologists with respect to the formation of policies of Div. 35.

• To promote the general objectives of APA and Div. 35.

Presentations

• Felicia D. Griffin-Fennell, PhD; Danice L. Brown, PhD; and Rhonda L. White-Johnson, PhD, presented "Improving the Quality of Psychological Health Research, Education, and Treatment for Black Women" (PDF, 405KB). This session was sponsored by Div. 35, Section I. 
• Telsie Davis, PhD, presented “Power Networking.” 
  
  
• Viviane Barnette, PhD; Beatrice Tatum, PhD; Julii Green, PhD; and Wendi Williams, PhD, conducted conversation hour programming at APA entitled “Work-Life Balance for Professional Black Women.” It was guided by a presentation on wellness developed by Barnette.
  
  
• Black Women’s Coping and Resilience in the Face of Racial Trauma, Discrimination and Oppression (PDF, 425KB)
  The legacy of slavery remains in racism, sexual assault, stereotyping and poor self-image. Practice self-care and activism, find social support and creative expressions, and use spirituality.
  
  Supplemental materials:

  • "Majoring in Minstrelsy: White Students, Blackface and the Failure of Mainstream Multiculturalism," by Tim Wise

  • "The Rise of the Ghetto-Fabulous Party," by C. Richard King and David J. Leonard

• Carolyn Payton Early Career Award
  This award, sponsored by Div. 35 Section I (Psychology of Black Women), recognizes the achievement of black women who are early career psychologists, specifically for published work addressing the concerns of black women and girls.
• Psychology of Black Graduate Student Women Award
  This award supports graduate student research on the role of gender in the lives of black women and girls.