Amos N. Wilson

Amos Nelson Wilson (February 23, 1941 or 1940 – January 14, 1995) was an African-American theoretical psychologist, social theorist, Pan-African thinker, scholar, author, and professor of psychology at the City University of New York. Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Wilson completed his undergraduate degree at Morehouse College, master's degree at The New School of Social Research, and PhD from Fordham University. He worked as a psychologist, social caseworker, supervising probation officer, and training administrator in the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice. As an academic, Wilson taught at City University of New York and the College of New Rochelle, and was an adjunct instructor for several colleges in the New York City area. Wilson died on January 14, 1995, from stroke complications in Brooklyn, NY, at the age of 53. He is known for his work on the developmental psychology of the Black child, Black-on-Black violence, and the falsification of African consciousness. Wilson believed that power differentials between Africans and non-Africans were the major social problem of the 21st century, and that racism was a structurally and institutionally driven phenomenon. He urged Blacks to consider disintegration as a realistic possibility and to prepare for all hypothetical scenarios.