A Reader of Afri-Centric Theory and Practice

Dr. Aminifu R. Harvey's compilation of his selected writings is enormously important for those interested in Afrocentric theory and practice. Dr. Harvey has provided the necessary confluence between Afrocentric theory and practice and how this link can be used to explain and resolve the pressing mental and social problems that have afflicted people of African ancestry. His work is seminal because he is the first trained social worker in the U.S. to incorporate the cultural principles and practices of traditional Africa into the social work/human service profession's written knowledge base. This is a major accomplishment for at least two reasons. Although social work's written knowledge base had begun to integrate what was referred to as "the Black Perspective" in the 1970s, this perspective largely focused on African-Americans' experiences with racial oppression in the U.S. and how they resisted and creatively adapted to that oppression. Little, if any, attention has been given to how the legacy of traditional Africa influenced the lives of Black people. Second, the professional acknowledgement of traditional African cultural principles and practices allowed Dr. Harvey to initiate the critical work of codifying these principles and practices into a coherent model of human service practice and research. Dr. Harvey can and should be viewed as one of the "founders" of what we now commonly refer to as "culturally competent" mental health and human service practice. This book is a must read for those who seek to better understand the evolution of the Afrocentric paradigm as one of the earliest expressions of using an oppressed group's culture as the foundation for professional practice."-Jerome H. Schiele, D.S.W., Bowie State University Department of Social Work