Ordinary Unhappiness 53: Broke Psychoanalysis: Harlem’s Lafargue Clinic feat. Kevin Duong
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May 18, 2024 In this insightful discussion, Kevin Duong, a politics professor, dives into his research on Harlem's Lafargue Clinic, a radical psychoanalysis project from 1946 to 1958. He highlights how the clinic aimed to provide free mental health care to marginalized communities, merging Freudian concepts with Marxist principles. The conversation explores innovative therapy methods, the idea of 'class unconsciousness,' and the connection between individual suffering and social conditions. Duong emphasizes the clinic's legacy in transforming both therapy and community organizing.
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Radical Practical Fusion Of Freud And Marx
- The Lafargue Clinic fused Freud's psychotherapy-for-the-people with Marxist attention to material suffering in Harlem.
- It opened in a church basement, ran on volunteers, and operated despite philanthropic and political resistance.
Wortham's Journey To Harlem Basement Clinic
- Frederick Wortham emigrated from Bavaria, trained with Freud's circle, and worked in New York psychiatric circles.
- He and colleagues secured a church basement in Harlem to start the Lafargue Clinic after years of rejection.
Cold War Erasure Of Radical Roots
- The clinic named itself after Paul Lafargue but public accounts omitted his Marxist ties due to Cold War pressures.
- Media reframed the project as democratic American radicalism, erasing international communist origins.