Inabel Burns Lindsay: Social work pioneer contributor to practice and education through a socio-cultural perspective

Abstract

Dr. Inabel Burns Lindsay (1900-1983), founding dean of the Howard University School of Social Work, was an early proponent for the consideration of race and culture in social work education and practice with racial and ethnic minorities. Using primary and secondary data sources, the authors trace the evolution of Dr. Lindsay's thinking on the role of race, class, gender and ethnicity in the helping process and finally her development of a socio-cultural perspective. Particular attention is given to her persistent efforts to disseminate this information and incorporate it into the curriculum of the Howard University School of Social Work decades before the ideas were embraced by the profession as a whole. As a pioneer in the struggle for social justice, Dr. Lindsay's philosophy on social work education and practice with racial and ethnic minorities informs contemporary social work practice approaches. © Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 2011.