The first African American to receive a PhD in psychology in the United States was Francis Cecil Sumner.

Quick Scoop

  • Francis Cecil Sumner earned his PhD in psychology in 1920 at Clark University, becoming the first African American to do so in the United States.
  • He is often called the “Father” of Black Psychology for his foundational role in training and mentoring later generations of Black psychologists.
  • Sumner later helped establish and lead the psychology department at Howard University, a key center for developing Black scholars in psychology.

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