Abstract
Racism continues to reveal disastrous effects on the Black community. There exists no behavior-analytic literature with a specific focus on ending Black psychological suffering due to continual acts of violence perpetrated against the community. I present a behavioral model to promote Black psychological liberation, infusing preestablished frameworks of Black psychology and cultural healing practices with acceptance and commitment therapy. The model addresses behaviors observed within systemic and internalized racism.
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Author Note
Denisha Gingles https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5595-0562 I (she/her) am a Black American/descendant of enslaved ancestors and a cisgender woman. It is through the lens of collective and cultural healing that this article was prepared. This article uplifts Black researchers who have paved the way for this discourse and encourages room for expansion beyond colonialism and anti-Black racism. I would like to thank my ancestors and community of fierce social justice organizers who have encouraged this article. Thank you for your invaluable contribution to building a better world and liberated community. Additionally, I would like to thank Jovonnie L. Esquierdo-Leal and each reviewer for their time reading and preparing the manuscript.
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This manuscript is being published on an expedited basis, as part of a series of emergency publications designed to help practitioners of applied behavior analysis take immediate action to address police brutality and systemic racism. The journal would like to especially thank Robin Williams and Taira Bermudez for their insightful and expeditious reviews of this manuscript. The views and strategies suggested by the articles in this series do not represent the positions of the Association for Behavior Analysis International or Springer Nature.
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Gingles, D. Igniting Collective Freedom: An Integrative Behavioral Model of Acceptance and Commitment Toward Black Liberation. Behav Analysis Practice 15, 1050–1065 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00584-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00584-6