Dr. Rick Wallace, The Odyssey Project Announce Research Plans

DALLAS - April 4, 2016 - PRLog -- Rick Wallace, Ph.D. is a person who has been consistently active in the engagement of the socioeconomic, political, educational, and the community-related enigmas that plague the black community.

While many are aware of the fact that Dr. Wallace is a prolific author and exceptional speaker, some are not as familiar with his aptitude for the behavioral sciences, which may very well be where he excels most. Dr. Wallace has conducted nearly 50,000 hours of research surrounding the challenges of African Americans in finding their socioeconomic equilibrium. He has mastered an understanding numerous challenges that are at the core of the problem of "absent influence" among blacks. Including:


·       Economic castration and impotence (Anderson, 1994)

·       Ignorance of the political process - leading to poor participation and in influence within the political process

·       The view of filial responsibility and the perception of family as it relates to priorities and social structure

·       Violence within inner-city neighborhoods, with a specific focus placed on black male adolescents, who make up a significant portion of the violence in African American neighborhoods

·       The Mis-education of Black Youth in the U.S.

·       Epigenetic influences on behavior and the proclivity for antisocial behavior. Epigenesis is the biochemical process through which some genes are expressed and others remain silent, and it reinforces and explains the powerful impact that the environment has on human development. Epigenetic effects occur not only though diet, chemical exposure, and high levels of environmental stress, but also through chronic poverty and racism

·       The negative impact of serial forced displacement and benign neglect on the physical and mental health of African Americans

·       The impact of negative mass propaganda in the development of a poor self-image and the subsequent collective inferiority complex - leading to self-hatred of a significant portion of the African American population

When asked to provide a statement for this release, he sent the following:

"When I finally became seriously invested in understanding the multitudinous issues that perpetually plague our community, one of the first things I discovered was that the vast majority of people who claim to be on the battlefield fighting to create change don't even understand the problems they are facing. With the exception of a few remarkable people, such as Dr. Na'im Akbar, Dr. Joy DeGruy, Dr. Amos Wilson (Deceased), Dr. Howard Stevenson, Dr. Umar Johnson, Dr. Walter Williams and a hand full of others, most people simply refuse to delve deep enough into the problems to truly understand them. And, without an understanding of the problem, it is impossible to exact change.

Inspired by my first encounter with Dr. Frances Cress Welsing in 1985, I became intrigued with the underlying causes that produced the counterproductive behavior that is far too common among blacks - understanding that there had to be a more complex causality, beyond some psychomahian conflict between Whites and Blacks. Yes, we understood that blacks possess the proclivity to participate in consumerism at a high level. Yes, the black family nucleus has disintegrated. Yes, there is intense and nefarious animosity that exists between the black woman and the black man. Yes, self-hatred and the presence of a dominant inferiority complex holds the majority of black people hostage. And yes, the white power structure has influenced this behavior; however, if African Americans were as uniquely extraordinary as Dr. Welsing asserted, why could we not self-correct? Why are we 150 years removed from slavery and yet we have experienced very little in the way of progress - rating last in every relevant socioeconomic and political barometer?

Many Blacks become irritated at the very mention of trauma associated with slavery, and that is because they simply don't understand the intergenerational transmission of trauma. They lack the perspicacity necessary to understand how trauma negatively impacts cognitive function, physical response and social capacity. There is no such thing as a coincidence; every action has a cause. My goal over the last 20-plus years has been to find those "causes" responsible for the inexplicable behavior displayed within the Black community.

In studying causality, I am introduced to the path of healing. This is why The Odyssey Project will continue the research that I have carried out to this point. I have mapped the next five years, with a specific calendar existing for the next 18 months. Although we do not yet have funding in place, we are moving forward, as always."

Dr. Wallace, has his hands full with helping inner-city parents create African American Parent Advisory Councils, for their relative school districts, that will work to monitor the school districts activity, community engagement, public speaking, and more, but what he is most passionate about is the power of scientific research to produce the answer to the enigmas that he has pondered for years. Today, The Odyssey Project announced its plans to sponsor and participate in the ongoing research into the behavior and performance issues of African Americans, and Dr. Wallace will function as the research director.

When asked if he planned to remain involved with all of the other endeavors in the black community he said, "Of course, I always have. Nothing has changed."

To learn more about the research, as well as support this great enormous work, visit http://www.theodysseyproject21.com.