ABSTRACT
African American families have always faced the daunting tasks of raising their children and ensuring the survival of the family in the hostile and racist environment of the United States. Rather, it must be strongly advocated that the absence of Afrocentric-based programs and services precludes freedom of choice for African American families. Even though the litany of problems and ills plaguing numerous African American families continues to spiral out of control, few seek fundamental alternatives to the Euro-American-centered value paradigms for service delivery. Intervention and practice strategies that are designed to emphasize group and family strengths and interdepen-dencies—that is, the person as part of her or his collectivity—would likely better serve African American families. Practitioners can best provide empowerment opportunities for African American families through the combined use of the value principles of Nguzo Saba, adherence to the African-centered tenets of human nature and behavior, and the perpetual use of the strengths of African American families.
