Prof. promotes rebuilding psychic space

Noted professor and psychologist Dr. Wade Nobles gave a stunning recitation on the history of Black America to Laney College students on Feb. 3 in conjunction with Black History Month.  

“The assault on the African American spirit” said Nobles emphatically to the standing-room-only crowd, “is what has shattered our belief in ourselves.”    

Nobles then asked the exuberant students to quiet themselves and think with their spirits and not their minds.  

“(It was the) breaking down of the psychological nature one has living inside of the inferiority complex that blacks were repeatedly subjected to since first being brought to this country,” he said.

“The myths and lies that operate in the minds of not only the ones thinking the inferior thoughts about self, but those around them that help support that condition with their thoughts of superiority.”

Nobles gave a presentation that produced both laughter and intense silence, weaving his audience through narratives of the colonization of the psychic space that arrested and retarded African development in this country.

  Nobles said: “The Emancipation Proclamation and how Lincoln used it did not help the slaves to heal their spirits, nor free their minds from mental bondage.

“The Civil War (1861-1865) was between northern industrial elite and southern antagonist elite, who controlled the direction of the country and made policy. American slavery [is] a heinous, disastrous crime against humanity that’s never been brought to justice.”

Dr. Nobles’ presentation was facilitated by Tamika Brown, chairman of Ethnic Studies at Laney and Jody Campbell, an instructor of the African American history of black family at Laney.

“We chose Dr. Nobles, because this is the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Dr. Nobles and many other black psychologist feel that the next emancipation is mental liberation.” Brown said.

“He’s an excellent and renown black psychologist; he knows his work, he knows about our community, he knows black psychology.”

Brown went on to say that “Dr. Nobles gives us a strong understanding, not only of the mind, but the importance of mental liberation and restoration of the black psyche.

“There’s a lot of traumas that has impacted blacks in this country. Since day one they have suffered many setbacks and limitations, and Dr. Nobles has many tools to help us on a new frontier of mental freedom.”

Students came away from the talk impressed.

“Dr. Nobles’ presentation and information was straight to the point of the business and legislation surrounding slave life in America,” Nafi Watson said. “I definitely will study more Black and American history.”