Black Psychiatrists Of America - Info Page

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Today we honor Dr. J Alfred Cannon, MD, MPH, our founding Vice Chairman and the 2nd President of the Black Psychiatrists of America. Dr. Cannon graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University in 1954. He completed his residency in psychiatry at the U.C.L.A. School of Medicine, where he later earned a master’s degree in public health and held a faculty appointment. In 1962, he founded the Central City Community Mental Health Center. Dr. Cannon was a persistent supporter of quality mental healthcare for inner-city neighborhoods in the aftermath of the 1965 Watts Riots. In the years following the unrest, Cannon was instrumental in founding the Drew Medical School in 1966. He was Chairman of the Psychiatry Department at Charles R. Drew Medical Center, Chairman of the Psychiatry Department at Augustus F. Hawkins Mental Health Facility, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA.He also was the driving force in the 1960s behind the creation of the Frederick Douglass Child Development Center. He also co-founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness alongside Dr. Patricia Era Bath the inventor of the combination ultrasound and laser method and apparatus for removing cataract lenses, which today helps patients around the globe. Dr. Cannon was the consummate instrument of change - a pioneer in the truest sense of the word. Many whose lives he touched, often heard him speak of “the need for Blacks to deepen spiritual, cultural, political and economic ties with their ancestral home...Africa.” It was to that ancestral home that he moved to in April, 1983 - to Zimbabwe, the newly independent southern African nation - to pursue and realize the dream of building a better world. He moved to Zimbabwe to help develop the healthcare system after the former British colony, then known as Rhodesia, was restored to black rule in 1979. The move reflected his commitment to black activism for self betterment. In Zimbabwe, on March 7, 1988, Dr.Cannon joined the ancestors, and became one with his beloved Africa. We now carry the torch he lit as we hold our Transcultural conference each year to strengthen that bridge across the diaspora.

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Today, we honor our Founding President, Dr. Chester M. Pierce, M.D., the creator of the term “Microaggressions” and an icon and trailblazer of many firsts. Dr. Pierce was a psychiatrist, researcher, and academician dedicated to addressing health disparities and promoting human rights and youth education. He earned a medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1952 and held the rank of Commander in the U.S. Navy. While at Harvard College, Dr. Pierce became the first African American college football player to compete against an all-white university south of the Mason-Dixon line. In 1969, Dr. Pierce became the founding president of the Black Psychiatrists of America and spoke on racism in America, first proposing the term racial “microaggressions.” Dr. Pierce was the first African-American Full Professor of Psychiatry and Education at Harvard Medical School and Harvard University and the first African-American Senior Psychiatrist and full professor at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) where, in 2009, the MGH global psychiatry program was named after him – The Chester M. Pierce, M.D. Division of Global Psychiatry. He was also a Psychiatrist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well. He was also the senior advisor on the creation of the acclaimed educational children’s television series “Sesame Street” which presented a vision of an integrated society. He was the national chair of the Child Development Associate Consortium and served as senior consultant to the Surgeon General of the U.S. Air Force. He served as the President of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the President of the American Orthopsychiatric Association, and served on the board of the World Association of Social Psychiatry and The Carter Center Mental Health Task Force. Dr. Pierce received numerous national and international awards, including the APA Human Rights Award, APA Distinguished Life Fellow, APA Special Presidential Commendation, honorary degrees, and fellowships. In 2017, the APA Human Rights Award was renamed in his honor by the APA Board of Trustees. Dr. Pierce is a true pioneer and one of the giants whose shoulders we stand on.

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Today, in honor of both Women’s Physician Day and Black History Month, we highlight, honor, and celebrate the trailblazing Dr. Margaret Morgan Lawrence, MD (1914–2019). Dr. Margaret Morgan Lawrence was the first Black woman to train and practice as a psychoanalyst in the United States. She specialized in child psychiatry, became the first Black resident at the New York State Psychiatric Institute in 1948, the first Black woman certified by the American Board of Pediatrics (1948) and the first Black woman to complete training at the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research. In 1932, she arrived in Ithaca as the only Black undergraduate on Cornell’s campus, where she was not permitted to live in the dormitories. She graduated from Cornell University in 1936 and Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1940, where she was the only Black student in her class and was mentored by Dr. Charles Drew, the only African American on the faculty, and the founder of the modern-day blood bank. She worked as a child psychiatrist at Harlem Hospital and later in Rockland County, NY, where she established the School Mental Health Center in 1953. She focused her career on treating children in underserved communities and her research focused on the “ego strength” of children in inner-city families. She joined the ancestors in 2019 at age 105; her work continues to influence methods in child psychotherapy. #blackhistorymonth #blackexcellence #blackpsychiatrists #blackpsychiatristsofamerica

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Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller is a Pioneer and is widely regarded as the 1st African American Psychiatrist in the United States. He is one of the giants whose shoulders we stand on and he is mostly known for his significant contributions to the study of Alzheimer’s disease. He was born in Liberia, the son of a previously enslaved African who had purchased his freedom and emigrated there. He graduated from Boston University School of Medicine, which as a homeopathic institution, was open to both African American and women students. He spent most of his career practicing at Westborough State Mental Hospital in Westborough, Massachusetts. While there, he performed his ground-breaking research on the physical changes to the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Dr. Fuller worked alongside Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who first discovered the traits of Alzheimer’s disease in 1901. In 1912, Dr. Fuller published the first comprehensive clinical review of all Alzheimer’s cases that had been reported up to that point. #blackhistorymonth #blackexcellence #blackpsychiatrists #blackpsychiatristsofamerica Credit: @mentalhealthamerica @ahahospitals @bpa__inc

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BPA is pleased to announce that both the 2025 Transcultural Conference Videos and the 2025 Spring Conference are NOW AVAILABLE! Did you know that BPA publishes videos & replays on our website? We are excited to announce that videos from each talk at the 2025 Transcultural Conference have been clipped, edited, and posted online for your viewing interest. We are pleased to be able to offer our members an archive of valuable educational content, including recordings from past conference sessions—all available for replay at your convenience. Each video is professionally hosted on Vimeo and can be rented for one week at the low cost of $3 per video. Catch up on sessions you missed or revisit key insights anytime—your purchase supports our efforts to provide continuing education for psychiatrists serving people of African descent. While these recordings do not offer CME credit, they are rich in educational content and accessible to all interested viewers. Visit our landing page to explore the talks and continue the learning.

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Giving Tuesday is here! A day when people across the world come together to support their favorite organizations that are making a difference in their communities and in the world. Today, we’re asking you to stand with Black Psychiatrists of America and make a donation on our website. Your Giving Tuesday donation will help BPA: Advance the mission to address issues affecting the mental health of African people worldwide with special emphasis on persons of African descent in the Americas and to provide a forum for continuing education for those who provide psychiatric care to these underserved population groups. Thank you for your support!

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A major barrier to advancing mental health is misdiagnosis which resulted from a legacy of racism. This will be one of the presentations that will be taking place at the 2025 BPA Fall Transcultural Conference, titled Roots of Resilience: Confronting the Legacy of Racism and Advancing Mental Health in the Diaspora, taking place from November 6–10, 2025, in beautiful Grenada! Black Disparities: The Legacy of Misdiagnosis By Dr. William Lawson MD, PhD The Objectives will include: 1. Participants will learn how to identify mood disorders people of color 2. Understand the history of misdiagnosing mood disorders 3. develop ways to prevent misdiagnosis 4. explore how misdiagnosis contribute to health disparities Don’t forget to register and book your accommodations via the Conferences & Events page on our website. For questions, contact us at [email protected]. We look forward to welcoming you to Grenada for this extraordinary experience in cultural exploration, community building, and professional growth!

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The Black Psychiatrists of America proudly announces our 2025 BPA Fall Transcultural Conference, taking place from November 6–10, 2025, in beautiful Grenada!

Roots of Resilience: Confronting the Legacy of Racism and Advancing Mental Health in the Diaspora
November 6-10, 2025

We are looking forward to hosting this year’s event at the Royalton Grenada, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort (Magazine Beach, Point Salines, St George’s, Grenada) for lodging and evening receptions. Our CME programming will be held at St. George’s University (University Centre, St. George’s, Grenada), just a short distance away.

This year’s conference offers not only a robust schedule of professional development and dialogue but also the chance to explore the vibrant culture and natural beauty of Grenada. In addition to educational programming, we’re planning some unique excursions coastline. Join us for an unforgettable gathering that blends academic enrichment with Caribbean charm.

Don’t forget to register and book your accommodations via the Conferences & Events page on our website.

For questions, contact us at [email protected].

We look forward to welcoming you to Grenada for this extraordinary experience in cultural exploration, community building, and professional growth!

The Black Psychiatrists of America proudly announces our 2025 BPA Fall Transcultural Conference, taking place from November 6–10, 2025, in beautiful Grenada! Roots of Resilience: Confronting the Legacy of Racism and Advancing Mental Health in the Diaspora November 6-10, 2025 We are looking forward to hosting this year’s event at the Royalton Grenada, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort (Magazine Beach, Point Salines, St George’s, Grenada) for lodging and evening receptions. Our CME programming will be held at St. George’s University (University Centre, St. George’s, Grenada), just a short distance away. This year’s conference offers not only a robust schedule of professional development and dialogue but also the chance to explore the vibrant culture and natural beauty of Grenada. In addition to educational programming, we’re planning some unique excursions coastline. Join us for an unforgettable gathering that blends academic enrichment with Caribbean charm. Don’t forget to register and book your accommodations via the Conferences & Events page on our website. For questions, contact us at [email protected]. We look forward to welcoming you to Grenada for this extraordinary experience in cultural exploration, community building, and professional growth!

Spring conference, circa 2010, Meharry. Honoring Dr. Lloyd Elam.

We have a new website! Have you seen it?!!

Black PsychiatristsHome The Black Psychiatrists of America (BPA) was created in 1969. The struggles, social conditions of Black Americans, professional experiences, and the barriers faced by Black psychiatrists provided the thrust for its creation. Today, we serve as expert clinicians, supporters, and educators for mental....