Breaking the Chains of Psychological Slavery

by Na'im Akbar

Are African-Americans still slaves? Why can't Black folks get together? What is the psychological consequence for Blacks and Whites of picturing God as a Caucasian? Learn to break the chains of your mental slavery with this new book by one of the world's outstanding experts on the African-American mind.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Race, History, Social Justice, Self Help, Research

95 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1996

About the author

Dr. Na'im Akbar has been acclaimed by Essence Magazine as "one of the world's preeminent Psychologists and a pioneer in the development of an African-centered approach in modern psychology." Akbar has served as Associate Professor at Norfolk State University, was Chairman of the Morehouse College Psychology Department and is currently on the faculty in the Department of Psychology at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. . He has served on the Boards of Directors of a variety of important civic and professional organizations, including several terms on the Board of the National Association of Black Psychologists, which he was elected president in 1987. He has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Black Studies and for eight years was the associate editor of the Journal of Black Psychology.

Akbar is a graduate of the University of Michigan, with both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Psychology and has received many honors for his progressive and landmark contributions to his specialized studies of the psychology of the African American. Among these are the "Annual Member Award" and recognition as a "Distinguished Black Psychologists" by the National Association of Black Psychologists for his outstanding scholarship and research in African Psychology.

The published volumes of Dr. Akbar's works are excellent illustrations of the unique and special approach he has taken to the role of an activist scholar. His volumes are targeted to a mass audience. Though the concepts that he presents are highly sophisticated, they are presented in a concise and simple way that readers with minimal education and possibly no familiarity with mainstream psychology will be able to comprehend the ideas from his books and increase their understanding of themselves. Though his scholarly status is unquestioned this area of his work is targeting a much broader audience than would likely encounter his works prepared for advanced students, professional colleagues and for the dialogue of the academy. He feels very strongly that truly relevant ideas should be available to as wide an audience as possible in order that they may study these ideas and apply them to their lives and to their communities. The measure of success for this aspect of his scholarship becomes the number of people from various walks of life that have been able to study these ideas, change their lives and their world.

Reviews

[Ngozi]

amazing. opened my eyes. EVERY black person should read this! you will most likely remained mentally enslaved if you don't.

[Dayna]

Again, during my stockholm syndrome phase. I also enjoy thinking about how individual psychology is passed on intergenerationally and how that affects the society as a whole, and vice versa. FASCINATED.

[Chris Boyer]

This is a weapon that the devil doesn't want our children to read

[Zane M.]

This is one of the most important books to help you understand the psychological toll that slavery and its impact on black culture.

[Paris Butler]

Very deep thoughts on this. Highly reccomend it.

[Clifford Onehundredd]

The revised version to the 1984's book Chains And Images Of Psychological S̶l̶a̶v̶e̶r̶y̶.

Breaking The Chains Of Psychological S̶l̶a̶v̶e̶r̶y̶ offers a complete mental map of liberation to all who wish to break away from the MYTH of Black inferiority and self-abasement. This book provides a broad awareness to how the effects of s̶l̶a̶v̶e̶r̶y̶ and similar coercion has affected the psyche of nearly all African-Americans today. It also outlines how to go about taking steps to identify possible patterns and rid yourself of these causes. I highly recommend this book for those looking raise their awareness and self-value as a Black person. This is one of Dr. Na'im Akbar's most precious gifted books alongside his book Know Thyself . His book works wonders in bringing awareness and value to Black etiquette. Read and pass on to other generations, this book's contents are transcendent of any and all generations

[Kev]

powerful

[Andrea]

Profound perspective on modern day assumptions.

[Kyle Hart]

Short book !
Psychological Legacy of Slavery by Na’im Akbar

Good book - Although I wish it went deeper. My first book by Dr. Akbar so perhaps he goes deeper in one of this other books. Top 3 ideas the stood out to me.
1. Most African American’s still associate work with slavery. They were forced to work for centuries with no compensation for someone else’s benefit. Now we can work for our own def, families, community. But he didn’t say how to get to the second mindset. Sounds like he just brought awareness.
2. “A sense of humor brings necessary balance to life , a but a lifetime of humor blinds one to life.” Love this quote
1. Token african become funny to maintain favor with his colleagues . Humor use to allow favoritism/survival
3. Touched on leadership in the black community and colorism

[Angela]

There's some good things in here, also some religious confusion.

[Adrienna]

This is my first time reading this author, yet I saw him briefly in a video I was asked to watch for Sankofa Mondays with ABPsi. I decided to purchase a copy to read. In college, I was in an Africology course that taught about the psychological effects of slavery.

The author, Na'im Akbar, speaks on the God-complex, the control factor of the slave master, and the legacy of slavery. "Our goal is to take us beyond the simple recognition of the trauma and to begin the process of healing our minds so we can be free of the slavery mentality (ii).

He speaks further on how the slavery mentality feeds on the mind, invades the soul of the person, which destroys their loyalties to self and allegiance to forces, not a choice, forced choices meant to destroy them--worse than the capture (vi, paraphrased). We permit an illusion of freedom, liberation, and self-determination; could this be relatable to Juneteenth, which we are celebrating as freedom from 1865, now approved federally as of 2024/25. 160 years later.

Akbar says that we need to understand slavery as a starting point to move forward as African Americans; yet, are we African...Americans? Slavery was not a choice--forced labor, free labor of an African generation over 300 yrs ago. We were always told 400+ years, yet this author says 100 years of liberation.

I like the breakdown of work:
Because of forced labor, not being lazy, we seek opportunities like welfare to avoid working. Everything we do is to benefit the master, and even today, if not our own business owner(s) or private practice(s), we are working for someone else that benefit(s) them.

property
It breaks my heart to see what they owned in a year's time, annually, or yearly. The children went naked on the field. Beyond cruelty.

*I may have to purchase a copy in the work library.

[Clyde Burch]

Really an interesting book. Slavery was "legally" ended more than 100 years ago. The author asserts that, even 300 years later, the experience of the brutality and unnaturalness experienced during those times still has a severe psychological and social shock in the minds of African-Americans. He explains that although we are generations removed from the actual experience of slavery, the descendants of those enslaved still carry the scars of those experiences both socially and mentally. He goes on to describe how many of our attitudes and reactions we exhibit today are inherited from our times of enslavement. A few of the attitudes he listed and examines are work, property, leadership, etc. A very enlightening read,

[Emily]

Two grains of salt: his connection to the Nation of Islam, though he did leave that organization for mainstream Islam, and a tendency to blame the past rather than to take ownership of individual current failings.

But setting those aside, this is a valuable analysis of how family trauma from years ago is still carried by people today, and the importance of recognizing that family history when seeking to improve your life in the here and now. The impact of slavery cannot be ignored in modern American black life (provided it does not become an excuse rather than an explanation for poor behavior).

[Rishav Gupta]

The author makes great points in this book about how salvery has impacted the black minds and restricted them psychologically to be independent. This can also be associated with some other cultures as the impacts of the inhumane conditions provided by the europeans and americans in the past has also to some extent enslaved the minds of other cultures ( when i say this ofcourse i dont mean everyone in a particular culture). I might not agree entirely with the solution that the author provides but still I would say that this book is a must read and worth the time.

[Ro]

Breaking the Chains of Psychological Slavery

[Fatima]

A must read.... for everyone!

[Akosua Hobert]

Full of very good information. Very informative. Packed with historical facts.

[Nikki C]

Great book!

[Wayne Garrett]

Classic

[Elle]

An insightful, must read book for any student of Black Studies.

[Darrick Mitchell]

Started my journey

[Born Uhuru]

This book should have been the first book that I read when I started to heavily read again, it’s such an easy and short read. It’s really a starter pack book for your mental liberation. Na’im Akbar gives you pointers (i.e. 👉🏾📚 and celebrating yourself). It’s exactly what Garvey suggested in the early 20th century. He gives credit to modern Africans who HAVE started the literary process of breaking the chains like Diop, Frances Cress Welsing, John Henrik Clarke I also wouldn’t forget people like Frantz Fanon and Walter Rodney.

Na’im Akbar touched my soul with his suggested theory that it takes courage to even START to free your mind but loneliness would soon follow. I’m exactly at this point in my life where it’s testing my patience. I finally believe it’s not worth freeing someone who doesn’t want to break those chains.

I’ve been reading and educating myself for years and sometimes I did give up (hence giving up reading heavily before and following unrighteous paths) sometimes I still want to give up and not say anything and just break my own chain. But then that’s why we we’re still at this stage. Too many people going up the hill and too few coming back down.

We really need an exclusive way of organizing

[Yvon Numa]

one of the greatest books I have read recently on pan-africanism. these concepts are not new but yet they are articulated well that when reading it begins to start a shared epiphany. Breaking the chains is not a manual to start doing so but yet a catalyst to start to understand the african american plight in america and/or beyond.

[Karen Lomax]

Even though this is a short book, it is NOT a short read, and I believe that is by design. You must digest the content of this book slowly. It is too important to just gulp down. Everyone should read this book because you just may have a few "chains" from slavery on your mentality that you didn't know about or maybe you've known but didn't realize the chains are still not yet broken.

[Reka Beezy]

All my people need to read this. He said some thing I couldn't hang with, like Bill Cosby being a great mind or some ish like that o_O, but overall, it was very informative. This Stockholm syndrome over my people is too strong. We must break free!!

[perez carlos]

very good read really open my mind to or should say change the way i saw not only myself but the world around me

[James Hall]

Penetrating explanation of the historical/psychological factors handed down from generation to generation and formulated and instilled by white supremacy.

[Debi Ferguson]

Truly an eye opener. I've read this book twice.

[Karen]

* Understanding Oppression: African American Rights (Then and Now)

[Rafael Suleiman]

A great book in trying to break the mindset of oppression.