Alvin Francis Poussaint

Alvin Francis Poussaint (May 15, 1934 – February 24, 2025) was an American psychiatrist known for his research on the effects of racism in the black community. He was a noted author, public speaker, and television consultant, and dean of students at Harvard Medical School. His work in psychiatry was influenced greatly by the civil rights movement in the South, which he joined in 1965.

While living in the South, Poussaint learned much about American racial dynamics. He soon delved into his first book, Why Blacks Kill Blacks (1972), which looks at the effects of racism on the psychological development of blacks. Most of Poussaint's work focuses on the mental health of African Americans.