Chalmer Thompson
Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, Counseling/Counselor EducationAfricana Studies Program, IUPUI
ude[dot]iupui[at]pmohtahc
A Psychology of Liberation and Peace: For the Greater Good
I have re-formulated and built on Helms' theory of racial identity development. Unlike other racial identity, the theory stresses the action of influential others, like psychologists, counselors, and educators, in facilitating the development of individual, group, and organizational racial identity. I am mainly involved in theory development and have used evidence from my study of different cases, and from the case of others. It is interdisciplinary in that I refer to the significance of the theory not only to mental health intervention, but also to other settings like K-12 classrooms. The theory is relevant to everyday life because it addresses not only how racism influences people of different races, but also how its psychological impacts can be addressed in a variety of settings. Ultimately, my development of theory is one of peace- and liberation-promotion.