Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint, renowned psychiatrist, Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus, Former Faculty Associate Dean for Student Affairs and founding Director of the Office of Recruitment & Multicultural Affairs at Harvard Medical School (HMS) passed away February 24, 2025, at 90 years old due to medical complications from a short illness. He died peacefully at home in Chestnut Hill, MA with his wife and family at his bedside.

Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint was Professor of Psychiatry, Emeritus at Harvard Medical School. He served as Faculty Associate Dean for Student Affairs at Harvard Medical School from 1969 until his retirement in 2019 and was also the founding Director of the Office of Recruitment & Multicultural Affairs. He was instrumental in expanding the enrollment of underrepresented medical students at HMS (nearly 1400 students of color), integrating them into the fabric of the School, encouraging and mentoring them during their time at HMS and HSDM, and helped them to launch their careers as physicians, many of them in high-level distinguished positions in academic medicine.

He served on the staff of the Judge Baker Children's Center from 1978-2010, including serving as Director of the Media Center from 1994-2010. He was author of Why Blacks Kill Blacks, 1972; co-author, with Dr. James Comer, of Raising Black Children, 1992; and co-author, with Amy Alexander, of Lay My Burden Down, 2000. He wrote more than 100 articles for lay and professional publications. In 1997, he received a New England Emmy award for Outstanding Children's Special as co-executive producer of Willoughby's Wonders. In 2010, the Association of American Medical Colleges honored him with the Herbert W. Nickens Award, Recognizing Outstanding Contributions Promoting Justice in Medical Education and Health Care.

Dr. Poussaint was a social commentator on race relations in America, the dynamics of prejudice, and issues of diversity as our society becomes increasingly multicultural. He lectured widely on college campuses and served as a consultant to governmental and private agencies. In addition, he consulted to the media on a wide range of social issues. He was concerned with media images and issues regarding the needs of children and the changing family. He was a strong proponent of nonviolent parenting and parenting education. Dr. Poussaint was internationally known for his work on race relations and as a media consultant on a wide range of social issues. He authored numerous books and articles on a variety of topics, including non-violent parenting, extreme racism as mental illness, the impact of media on children, and violence in our society.

Born on May 15, 1934, in East Harlem, NY to Harriet and Christopher Poussaint, he received his BA from Columbia University in 1956 and his MD degree from Cornell University Medical College in 1960. He took postgraduate training at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, serving as Chief Resident in Psychiatry in 1964-65. At UCLA, he received a master's degree in psychopharmacology.

From 1965 to 1967, he was Southern Field Director of the Medical Committee for Human Rights in Jackson, Mississippi, providing medical care to civil rights workers on the marches including the Selma and Meredith marches and aiding desegregation of hospitals and health facilities throughout the South. He was former Chair of the Board of Directors of PUSH for Excellence. In 1967, after leaving Mississippi, Dr. Poussaint joined the Tufts Medical School faculty as director of a psychiatry program in a low-income housing development. In 1969, he joined Harvard. From 1975-1978, he was Dean of Students at Harvard Medical School.

He was a distinguished life fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a life member of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He received numerous awards and was the recipient of many honorary degrees.

Dr. Poussaint is survived by his wife of 32 years, Dr. Tina Young Poussaint, his son Alan (daughter-in-law Maria), his daughter Alison, his sister, Dolores Nethersole and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to honor the memory and legacy of Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint with contributions to The Family Van and Fairplay .

The Family Van has improved healthcare access by partnering with underserved Boston communities providing free health screenings, education and community referrals. The Family Van Donation Link .

Fairplay  is the leading nonprofit organization committed to helping children thrive in an increasingly commercialized culture. Fairplay Donation Link Checks can be mailed to: Fairplay, 89 South St # 403, Boston, MA 02111