Linda James Myers

Linda James Myers (born 1948) is an American psychologist of African American and Native American ancestry, who is best known for developing a theory of optimal psychology. Optimal psychology theory relies on African and Native American worldviews to promote interconnectedness and anti-racism. James Myers has offered significant contributions to the field of African Psychology. She has won numerous awards, including the Distinguished Psychologist Award from the Association of Black Psychologists, the Bethune/Woodson Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Development of Promotion of Black Studies from the National Council for Black Studies, and the Oni Award from the International Black Women’s Congress. She attended Kansas State Teachers College for her undergraduate degree in psychology and special education and for her master's degree in school psychology. Upon receiving her degree, James Myers took a position as a psychology instructor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. James Myers has authored numerous books, book chapters, and peer-reviewed journal articles. This book offered a summary of James Myers' theoretical and empirical work around optimal psychology theory.

Awards and honors

Distinguished Psychologist Award from the Association of Black Psychologists Bethune/Woodson Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Development of Promotion of Black Studies from the National Council for Black Studies Oni Award from the International Black Women’s Congress Building to Eternity Award from the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilization Outstanding Teaching Award from the Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences