Published on Feb. 1, 2022

To celebrate Black History Month our CASE Marketing interns are highlighting their most influential figures.

First up, junior j-school student and CASE intern Gehazi Whitehurt honors the late psychologist, Dr. Joseph White, aka the “godfather of Black psychology”.

Hi, I’m Gehazi Whitehurst, and I’m a junior here on CASE marketing team majoring in journalism with an emphasis in strategic communications with minors in theatre and psychology.

One person in Black history who has inspired me recently, also known as the “godfather” of the field of Black psychology, Dr. Joseph White.

He was one of the most influential African-centered psychologists of our time. Dr. White challenged traditional psychological theories which held a Eurocentric perspective. He realized that traditional theories developed by White psychologists were meant to explain White people, so he reshaped thinking of how African Americans should be studied by focusing on the values, beliefs, and attitudes of African people.

As a first-generation college student, learning about Dr. White inspires me to continue pursuing my degree, even when it can get tough. In my areas of study at Mizzou, they all intersect at understanding people, and understanding all different types of people requires you to look through different lens. Dr. White motivates me to use my unique perspectives to improve storytelling and understanding that human aspect. No matter what work I end up doing when I graduate, I want to keep my passion for telling others’ stories at the forefront of what I do because being able to uplift marginalized groups is most important to me.