Born: March 1, 1934, Hobson City, Alabama ; Died April 6, 1982 (aged 48) Chicago, Illinois, United States.   Alma mater: Chicago State University /University of Chicago Occupation:  Psychologist.

"Dr. Bobby E. Wright was a "Black" Afrikan psychologist, so labeled not just because he was both "Black" Afrikan and a psychologist, but because he used his education, training, intellectual knowledge and skills always in the best interest of "Black" Afrikan people all over the world. 

Dr. Wright tells us that the answer to Blacks’ problems can be found in the works and lives of people like Shaka Zulu, Martin Delany, Marcus Garvey, H. Rap Brown, Malcolm X, Chancellor Williams

[ 2. Drs. Chancellor Williams and John G. Jackson ] and others. As those of you who frequent RBG Street Scholars Think Tank know, such an approach is at the core of our academic content and methods.  Dr. Bobby Wright was one of the greatest analytical thinkers of the 20th Century. He not only skillfully identified the problems that face Afrikan people today but also had a clear solution to help solve our problem.

Dr. Bobby Wright developed a Black Social Theory that would combat white supremacy. Dr. Bobby Wright said, "The Black Social Theory determines the destiny of a people by establishing guidelines of life. It defines their relationship with other living things, It defines values and rituals, methods of education, and how enemies are dealt with, etc." Also, Dr. Wright concept of Mentacide explains some of the self destructive behavior exhibited by African people worldwide.

Unfortunately for us, Dr. Wright made the transition to our ancestors in 1982, but his spirit and wisdom will be with us forever as he has resurrected in this RBG EduBlog/ Classroom.  Recognized for his activism, he was a special guest on the Committee of Science and Technology at the Sixth Pan-African Congress held at Tanzania in 1974.

As a social scientist, he sought an all-encompassing social theory for Black people and formulated the concept of mentacide. To paraphrase, he defined mentacide as "the planned and systematic destruction of a group's mentality aimed at the destruction of the group." Thus, Black folk alienated from their culture and history eventually lose their sense of purpose and direction, the symptoms of mentacide. Well aware of the implications of technical advances such as behavior modification and genetic engineering, he presented science as a tool serving greater ends (such as controlling the outcasts of white society), neither objective nor neutral. Being an uncompromising critic of Western society, he wrote the following on the relation of religion to prejudice from "The Psychopathic Racial Personality" in the Fall 1974 issue of Black Books Bulletin: Because of their lack of ethical or moral development, there is no conflict between the white's religion and racial oppression.

The white race had historically oppressed, exploited, and killed black people, all in the name of their god Jesus Christ and with the sanction of their churches. For example, it is generally overlooked that the Ku Klux Klan is primarily a religious organization. Also, blacks should never forget the Pope [Pius XI] blessing the Italian planes and pilots on their way to bombing Ethiopian men, women, and children who only had spears to defend themselves..."Get Audio CDs from House of Nubian.

Source:  Asssata Shakur Forum