Abstract
Police brutality and widespread systemic racism represent historical and current sources of trauma in Black communities. Both the Black Lives Matter movement and counseling psychology propose to confront these realities at multiple levels. Black Lives Matter seeks to increase awareness about systemic racism and promote resilience among Black people. Counseling psychology states values of multiculturalism, social justice, and advocacy. Executive leadership in counseling psychology may seek to promote racial justice, yet struggle with how to participate in Black Lives Matter movements and address racial discrimination within larger systems spontaneously and consistently. However, counseling psychology trainees and professionals are actively involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, leading the way forward. Through the framework of spontaneity in social movements, this manuscript highlights what counseling psychologists are currently contributing to Black Lives Matter and makes recommendations that build on the opportunity counseling psychologists have for further involvement in the movement.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-1-2017
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000017733048
Repository Citation
Hargons, Candice; Mosley, Della; Falconer, Jameca; Faloughi, Reuben; Singh, Anneliese; Stevens-Watkins, Danelle; and Cokley, Kevin, "Black Lives Matter: A Call to Action for Counseling Psychology Leaders" (2017). Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications. 35.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/edp_facpub/35
Included in
African American Studies Commons, Educational Psychology Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons
Notes/Citation Information
Published in The Counseling Psychologist, v. 45, issue 6, p. 873-901.
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