As we approach the beginning of the new school year, first-year student orientations take place on college campuses to help students prepare academically, integrate into the institution’s values and traditions, and build community. During the most recent orientation for first-year psychology doctoral students at my institution, I was immediately struck by the small number of Black students. Out of 34 first-year students, there appeared to be only one Black student, representing 2 percent of the cohort. The optics to me were quite alarming.

Later, in a conversation with two members of the Black Student Psychological Association, they shared my observation and concerns. By comparison, the 2023 and 2024 cohorts of first-year doctoral students both had five Black students.

My larger concern is the impact of having fewer Black students enter the discipline of psychology. While I cannot directly attribute the sudden decrease in the number of Black graduate students to the recent dismantling of DEI, I strongly believe that the decrease is not a coincidence. As a Black professor who has produced a few Black psychologists in my 27 years in the academy, I’m gravely concerned that in the current anti-DEI climate, the already low numbers of Black psychologists (both practitioners and academics) will decrease even more.

According to the American Psychological Association, Black psychologists represent approximately 5 percent of the U.S. psychologist workforce, falling well below the 13 percent of Black individuals in the United States. It is well-documented that members of underrepresented groups are more likely to conduct clinical practice in underserved areas and/or with minoritized populations.

It is also well-documented that members of underrepresented groups are more likely to conduct research with minoritized populations. Fewer Black doctoral students in psychology will undoubtedly lead to fewer Black psychologists working with Black clients and fewer Black psychologists conducting research on the lived experiences of Black people.

Read the full article on Psychology Today.