26 Facts About Na'im Akbar

Na'im Akbar is a clinical psychologist well known for his Afrocentric approach to psychology.

Na'im Akbar is a distinguished scholar, public speaker, and author.

Na'im Akbar criticized the pathology perspectives that had taken over as the dominant literature on African Americans.

Heavily influenced by the Black student movement at the University of Michigan, and freshly aware of racial tensions, Na'im Akbar became active with the Black Action Movement strike which shut down classes at the University of Michigan for three weeks in the late 1960s.

At Morehouse, Na'im Akbar designed and taught the first Black psychology course in the history of the college, and eventually developed the first Black psychology program at the college.

Three years later, Na'im Akbar left Morehouse to work at the Nation of Islam's headquarters in Chicago.

Around this time, Akbar changed his name to Luther X, after joining the Nation of Islam and then later to Na'im Akbar after joining the Muslim American Community of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed then named "The World Community of Al-Islam in The West" where he rose to be Special Aide to Warith Deen Mohammed and oversaw the production of Warith Deen's Teachings of W D Muhammad and delivered his personal full page endorsement of the teachings.

Na'im Akbar created the Office of Human Development, where he remained for two years until he returned to teaching and accepted a position at Norfolk State University, a historically Black university in Norfolk, Virginia.

Na'im Akbar then moved on to accept a faculty position at Florida State University back in his hometown of Tallahassee, Florida, where he continued to teach courses in Black psychology.

In 1971, Na'im Akbar joined the Association of Black Psychologists, which is the largest professional organization with focuses on Black mental health in the world.

Since becoming active in the organization, Na'im Akbar has served on the board numerous times, and served as the President of the ABPsi from 1987 to 1988.

Additionally, Na'im Akbar has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Black Studies and was the associate editor of the Journal of Black Psychology for eight years.

Na'im Akbar subsequently raises questions about the standards used to judge the sanity of African Americans and maintained that cultural considerations were necessary to adequately assess the mental health of African Americans.

Na'im Akbar relates that the anti-self disorder is worse than the alien-self disorder, because the individual with the anti-self disorder is more out of contact with reality and is thus more disturbed.

Na'im Akbar believes that black-on-black crime is a result of self-destructive disorders, and posits that alcoholics and druggies resort to a world of chemical fantasies instead of dealing with their own realities.

Na'im Akbar concludes that the creation of an African American definition of normalcy is necessary, and until such a definition is formed, African Americans remain subjects to the power and authority of the dominant community.

Na'im Akbar takes issue with the idea that a secure Black identity was realized when the African American became comfortable forging relationships with members of other ethnic groups and cultures.

Na'im Akbar likened Cross' reasoning to an adoption of the alien-self disorder, and argued that Cross' assumption was flawed.

Na'im Akbar relates that the major unresolved issue for counseling purposes is a problem of definitional clarity.

In "Visions for Black Men," written in 1991, Na'im Akbar relates the necessity for Black men to rise to their full potential as leaders in the home and in the community.

Na'im Akbar wrote the book to try and empower Black men worldwide to become self-determined and fulfill their due roles in society.

Na'im Akbar released this spoken word compact disk in 2003, with the goal of spreading his beliefs to a broader audience.

Na'im Akbar was awarded the Distinguished Psychologist Award from the National Association of Black Psychologists, and Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania and Lincoln University.

Na'im Akbar has be given commemorative days on his behalf in six major cities across the United States, and was named a Development Chief in Ghana, West Africa.

Dr Na'im Akbar has served on the Boards of Directors of numerous organizations, including the National Association of Black Psychologists, for which he served as the president from 1987 to 1988.

Na'im Akbar has been featured in newspapers and magazines both nationally and internationally, including The Washington Post and Essence Magazine.