Joseph White (psychologist)
| Joseph L. White | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 19, 1932 Lincoln, Nebraska |
| Residence | United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Fields | Psychology |
| Institutions |
Washington University in St. Louis National Institute of Mental Health Association of Black Psychologists |
| Alma mater |
San Francisco State University Michigan State University |
| Known for | Toward a Black Psychology Association of Black Psychologists |
Joseph L. White is Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of California, Irvine and "godfather" of the field of Black Psychology.
Joseph White was born on December 19, 1932 in Lincoln, Nebraska to Dorothy Lee and Joseph L. White. At a very young age his family moved to Minneapolis where they remained until White's mother sent him to San Francisco to live with his aunt after completing high school. White only dreamed of becoming a waiter but his aunt suggested that he go to college. His first wife and mother to his three children, Lori, Lisa, and Lynn, was Myrtle Escort White. His second wife of over thirty years is Lois White.
Joseph White received his BA from San Francisco State University, and his PhD in clinical psychology at Michigan State University in 1961. When he went to San Francisco State the total cost of admission for him was $14.25. College was so affordable at that time in California that if a student did not have the money at that moment the student could sign a waiver promising to pay the current tuition and fees the next semester. White was always a good athlete in high school and that earned him a job working at a playground in a city neighborhood. This is where he found his love for psychology. Ivan Pavlov was an influential psychologist for White and he was very interested in learning about the unconscious mind. This would probably be his earliest influence in regards to psychology.
After he finished at San Francisco State White served 24 months in the military. He did not immediately get accepted into graduate school. Luckily San Francisco State was creating a Master’s program and agreed to admit him to the program and help him gain admission to a doctorate program. Two years later, he was accepted at Michigan State.
White recalls the reactions of people in psychology to him as hesitant since he was the only Negro at the program. People did not think that Negro students had the advanced capacity to do graduate level work. He attempted to get some of his required classes waived because of his work at San Francisco State but Michigan State would not honor this request. He was well rounded and took many classes in his major at San Francisco and as a result ended up at the top of his class at Michigan State.
While his main field of study was clinical psychology, Dr. White focused a lot of his attention on aiding and supporting disadvantaged students of color in their path to acquire knowledge by developing curriculum that caters to the needs of students of color. In his quest to reform the education system, White rejects the use of white middle class norms in determining the standards of education. While at California State University, Long Beach, White helped in establishing the Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) which became a program implemented across the California State University campuses.
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