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UMass-Boston
African American Professor Makes History
 History
was made on July 9, 2006, when Dr. Carroy U. “Cuf”
Ferguson, Ph. D. became President of the Association for
Humanistic Psychology (AHP), the first African American
and first person of color to hold this position since
the founding of AHP in 1962. AHP is an international organization
with professional members in at least 38 countries (e.g.,
Argentina, Chile, China, Germany, India, Italy, Greece,
Israel, Peru, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, South
Africa, Virgin Islands) and 45 states plus the District
of Columbia.
The Association for Humanistic Psychology is described
as “the voice of ordinary people with an extraordinary
vision for a more conscious and humane global society.”
AHP was founded as “a bold new affirmative approach
to psychology and life and continues to explore the edges
of what is known, looking for new and workable methods
to facilitate our evolution as individuals and as a society”
(ahpweb.org). The mission of AHP is to enhance the quality
of human experience (mentally, physically, spiritually,
socially, culturally, and environmentally) and to advance
the evolution of consciousness (individually and collectively).
AHP fulfills its mission by sponsoring, alone and with
strategic partners, educational events and projects, publications,
and a global Web presence (see www.ahpweb.org).
Examples of such activities include: events with renowned
authors and speakers like Caroline Myss, Gregg Braden,
and Marianne Williamson; international conferences like
the Quest for Global Healing conference in Ubud, Bali
(May 3-8, 2006) and the International Conference on Conflict
Resolution in St. Petersburg, Russia (May 5-15, 2006);
publications like the Journal of Humanistic Psychology
and the AHP Perspective professional magazine.
Born in the segregated South (Columbia, S. C.), Dr. Ferguson
was a high school valedictorian, graduating first in his
class; he obtained his B. A. from Bowdoin College, graduating
cum laude and becoming the first African American nationally
to desegregate the Sigma Nu Fraternity. He subsequently
obtained his M. A. and Ph. D. degrees in Psychology from
Boston College. Among his many professional roles are
those of psychologist, consultant, author, presenter,
associate journal editor, and member of various boards.
Dr. Ferguson is currently a tenured faculty member at
University of Massachusetts-Boston’s College of
Public and Community Service (CPCS). In the CPCS Vision
and Action Newsletter (Spring 2006), an article, titled
“Connecting to Global and Multicultural Communities:
One Man’s Path,” chronicled some of Dr. Ferguson’s
activities. “There have been a number of ways that
CPCS Human Services faculty member Carroy U. “Cuf”
Ferguson has sought to connect with global and multicultural
communities. This has included developing a competency
called Cultural Awareness to literally take students to
different countries, like Denmark, Scotland, and the Dominican
Republic, as part of Instructional Activities. Years ago,
Cuf cofounded an organization called Interculture, Inc.,
and he has a number of publications (e.g., the scholarly,
historical, and psychological Transitions in Consciousness
from an African American Perspective, 2004; “Follow
the Leader: Fear and Projection as Root Causes of the
War in Iraq, “ book chapter in Arthur Shostak’s
Volume One: Culture Clash/Media, 2004) and presentations
(e.g., “Peace: An Archetypal Energy for Personal
Growth and Transformation” at Association for Humanistic
Psychology’s (AHP) International Conference, June
2005; “Contributions of African Americans to the
Consciousness of American Society,” Continuing Education
Series, Jack Satter House, 2004) dealing with racial and
multicultural matters.
Recent activities include a presentation in January 2006
in Cancun, where Cuf was a presenter and cofacilitator
of an AHP International Professional Day event. The theme
of the conference was “Worldviews: Living in Separate,
Virtual Realties.” He presented on the topic “Levels
of Consciousness,” which was based on an article
he published in the Oct./Nov. 2005 edition of AHP Perspective,
a national and international professional magazine. His
work continues as an associate editor with the international
Journal of Humanistic Psychology (JHP). He is also on
the national board of the Association for Humanistic Psychology,
a national and international organization with professional
members in (a number of) countries and (a number of) states…
The AHP board sponsors a variety of national and international
events…”
Humanistic Psychology itself is often referred to as a
“Third Force” Movement in psychology. It came
into being in response to the mechanistic beliefs of behaviorism
(the “First Force” Movement) and the biological
reductionism and determinism of classical psychoanalysis
(the “Second Force” Movement). Humanistic
Psychology, therefore, is a contemporary manifestation
on an ongoing historic creative tension in the field of
psychology to affirm the inherent value and dignity of
human beings. Some of the luminary founders of Humanistic
Psychology and AHP include Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers,
Rollo May, Clark Moustakas, Charlotte Buhler, Gordon Allport,
J. F. T. Bugental, Gardner Murphy, Henry Murray, Jacques
Barzum, Rene Dubos, and Floyd Matson. These founders and
AHP gave birth to what is called The Human Potential Movement.
The now commonly held notion that we live in an interdependent
world is an outgrowth of The Human Potential Movement.
Past Presidents of AHP include eminent humanistic figures
in the field such as James F. T. Bugental, Sidney M. Jourad,
Charlotte Buhler, Jack R. Gibb, Stanley Krippner, Eleanor
Criswell, Jean Houston, George Leonard, Virginia Satir,
Lawrence LaShan, John Vasconcellos, Frances Vaughan, Maureen
O’Hara, Arthur Warmoth, and J. Bruce Francis. With
his historic election, Dr. Ferguson joins a long list
of prominent thinkers, scholars, authors, and cultural
creators who have sought to bring to consciousness the
value and dignity of the human being in the field of psychology.
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Visit of an Iraqi delegation to the University of Massachusetts
Boston
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On Tuesday,
July 11th, an Iraqi delegation was welcomed to the UMass Boston
Campus to discuss the forthcoming international conference on
Rebuilding Sustainable Communities
in Iraq and to also discuss possible areas of institutional
collaboration between UMass Boston and the University of Baghdad.
The delegation represents educational leaders from the University
of Baghdad, and Dr. Beriwan Muslih Abdul-Kareem Khailany, Deputy
Minister of Higher Education for the Iraqi Government (third
from right). more»
Pictured from Left to Right: Miss
Maysoon Kamal Jalal (Computer and Network, University of Baghdad),
Dr. Ziad Jalal Saleh (Communication, College of Engineering,
University of Baghdad), Dr. Abdul Mohsin Saheel (Opto-Electronics,
College of Science, University of Baghdad), Dr. Adenrele Awotona
(Dean, CPCS, University of Massachusetts Boston), Dr. Beriwan
Muslih Abdul-Kareem Khailany (Deputy Minister of Higher Education
for the Iraqi Government), Dr. Suha M. Hadi (College of Engineering,
University of Baghdad), and Dr. Mariam Adbul Jabaar Ali (Mathematics,
College of Science, University of Baghdad) |
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