Mental Health, Racism, and Contemporary Challenges of Being Black in America

More than four decades of perspectives from the American Psychiatric Association's Solomon Carter Fuller Award lectures, named for the first Black psychiatrist in the United States, are collected for the first time in this seminal anthology.

The chapter authors—Solomon Carter Fuller awardees themselves, psychiatrists building on the work of previous awardees, and other scholar experts—provide a multidisciplinary, cross-sectional examination of the historical, current, and future societal context that informs the Black experience in the United States.

Chapters that examine the intersection of mental health and public health, racism, public policy, education, and other topics, emphasize more than just the challenges that Black communities face. They offer reasons for hope and perseverance in the face of adversity.

Importantly, this volume also serves to celebrate the legacy of Black psychiatric leaders, elevate the contributions of today's professionals, and inspire an entirely new generation.