The Minority Fellowship Program: a 30-year legacy of training psychologists of color

This article traces the development and growth of the American Psychological Association (APA) Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) from is inception in 1974 to 2007. The original influences of Black psychiatrists in creating the Center for Minority Group Mental Health at the National Institute of Mental Health are described, and the initial structure and strategy of MFP is outlined. The dramatic growth in the number of MFP Fellows (82%), the average size of Fellowship stipends (810%), and the total stipend dollars (1,560%) reflects expansion of the programs in substance abuse research, treatment and prevention, neuroscience and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), as well as mental health service and research. The influence of the MFP on the APA and departments of psychology are described, including the role the MFP played in the establishment of the Office, Board, and Committee of Ethnic Minority Affairs. Some of the accomplishments and leadership roles MFP alumni have played are described. The article concludes with a discussion of the current status of MFP and projections for the future.