Black Identity : My Self, Identity, And My Identity

In 1971, William E. Cross, Jr., Ph.D., a Black psychologist and prominent researcher (specializing in Black psychology) developed a framework for assessing how black Americans come to understand what it means to be Black. Dr. Cross introduced his ideologies as the “Nigrescence Model of Racial Identity Development“. He asserts that every black American must undergo a series of identity stages to develop a healthy and balanced understanding of the Black experience and become well-rounded in our global society. This model encompasses five stages of identity development, which Dr. Cross emphasizes, must be performed in order to successfully accomplish this goal.

So what is the black identity? Are you black enough? Do you talk black? Are you a hyper masculine heterosexual male with kinky hair and a criminal record? I can see how it must be difficult to maintain a sense of communal self. Angela Davis one of the speakers in the film, provides this answer: "You take some color, a dash

James McBride can tell you firsthand about man verse racial identity. Journalizing his experience in his New York Times Bestseller novel the Color of Water simply outlined his struggles of finding who he was. His upbringing included a black father and a Jewish white mother. His background made it hard for him to understand why his home was different than others on the street. Although McBride experience shows an older outtake of racial identity, some may say this still is a problem today. Offspring feels the need to pick a race in society to succeed in the generation and it may be the step to understands them more. Notice in the subtitle of the book "A black Men tribute to his white mother" he label himself as just black as if there was a barrier between his mother and himself because the so different. Today we need to not let racial identity become a big part of our lives.

The common bond of slavery is what draws Black Americans together, but is what drives Black Americans and African immigrants apart. Many African immigrants have only read or heard about racial discrimination, but have never faced it first-hand. They admire what Black Americans have done, but when they come to this country they and maintain a separate identity from native-born blacks. Because of the separation, whites were more willing to serve Africans and Black Americans thought African immigrants were receiving better treatment from society (Reddick, 1998). Being Black in America is already a complicated existence, but being a Black immigrant is a very different existence. Black Americans often do not know the country their ancestors came from and feel more American than African or Caribbean. African immigrants are often in an identity complex because often they are not considered Black enough for the Black community and not being American enough for the white communities. They are often overlooked when discussing immigration policies though they are the fastest growing immigration population. Even though African immigrants are more educated and find success they also struggle to find jobs in their field due to racial discrimination (Omara, 2017)

Too black for the White kids, yet somehow too white for the Black kids, oh the perils of a cappuccino mixed race kid. But it’s true. My life since I was young, at least younger than my eighteen year old self, has been about which group do I most fit in with. Between the four school changes over the course of twelve years, all in white suburban towns I’ve molded myself into an array of characters.

Prior to viewing the series, I have always felt like race was a social construct that really didn’t represent the diverse civilizations on earth. Anyone who see me would assumes my race is Black however to me race is general terms for my ethnicity. Having been brought up in an Nigerian household I never really completely related to my Black American friends. This really made me question was I truly Black and if so are there different types of Blacks. Racial terms like Black, White, Hispanic, and Asian fail to convey the disparate cultures that their are in the world. Instead the pigeon hole people of a specific skin color by classifying them

Race was a primary factor used to shape the identity of African Americans which was seen through their culture. Race is portrayed through the narratives such as The life of Frederick Douglas by Frederick Douglass and the Autobiography of an Ex-colored man by James Weldon Johnson.

My phenotype defines my race and ancestry as Black due to “physical appearance and constitution, including skeletal structure, height, hair texture, eye color, and skin tone” (Matthew and Emirbayer 2009, 337). My ethnicity is that of African American in difference to Blacks from the Caribbean Islands of Blacks that have emigrated from Africa. Matthew and Emirbayer says that Black culture exist as two distinct cultures defined by two classes—the middle class and the poor or “the underclass” and “instead of the Black community, we think in terms of sub communities” (349). I believe that could be further expand by geography, as my culture includes aspects of the economically deprived South, the ghettos of Los Angeles aa well as the White, middleclass suburb of Irvine. It is indeed complicated.

The term “black” dates to the 1960s and 1970s and the civil rights movement. The Black Power movement advocated strongly for the use of “black” to replace the outdated “negro,” and many Americans of African ancestry started to embrace the term. In the 1980s, “African American” began to see common usage, and the term quickly became very popular. The argument for not using “black” is that it is a term, which refers purely to skin color, recognizing the fact that people from Africa come in a variety of shades and hues. The argument for using “black” also allows people to distinguish between Americans with slave ancestors, who may not have a close connection with Africa, and recent immigrants from Africa. This term also includes Americans of slave ancestry who immigrated from the Caribbean, as these individuals may feel more closely connected to places like Haiti or Jamaica than Africa (wisegreek.org).

Furthermore, I believe the labels for adults of color should be cared more. I believe that adults of color should care more about labeling because the terms African American and Black are different. I think that African American label in America should be used for people that have influence in Africa or just immigrated to America. The label of African American is being stressed from its original intent. McWhorter stresses the point that people of color are not African to any significant extent. He explains, “It carries an air of protest, a reminder that our ancestors were brought here against their will…and that we have come a long way since then” (528). From a stand point, I think that that using the label “African American” is being stressed out too much because using the term African has no significance on the Black society today. The label Black should be used for people that have influence in America. For a person of color being Black, I think that it would be an appropriate term for the Black society of the present age. I feel it is not perfect but one step of improvement versus the previous labels in the past. It

When I entered the Dynamic of Racism and Oppression class I was the individual who had blinders on. I did not have a full understanding of what racism was, which in itself is shocking to me as I thought I had. What made me really stop and think was this class opened my eyes to the fact that I did not know my own identity. I have heard individual say “I’m black”, “I am of African decent”, “I’m Latino”, “I’m Canadian”, and “I’m white”. These are common statements of how individuals view their race and identity. I have even placed my identity in one of those categories, I’m white. I was unaware and unsure of what it meant to have a culture, which many individuals claim everyday. Some individuals know their identity, others do not, I was one

Race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, poverty, and sexual orientation, all play a role in developing one’s identity and more often than not, these multiple identities intersect with blackness. Being that American society has deemed colored people and populations as minoritarian subjects, African diaspora people can be seen making safe spaces for themselves to survive as individuals and as a part of communities.

“Dale, dale, dale, No pierdas el tino; Porque si lo pierdes, Pierdes el camino”. The classic piñata song that is sung at parties. It translates to “Go, go, go, don't lose your aim; because if you lose it, you will lose your path.” The phrase ties in with my identity because of my cultural background and experiences at parties. Who am I? What is my cultural identity? The questions that have me trying my best not to have an existential crisis. I am a Mexican American, my parents were born in Jalisco and I was born in California. As for my cultural identity, I am a NSHS student that has been shaped by music, technology, and sports.

Personal identity is essential in the human experience. Identity is complex and can be broken down into two main groups: introspective identity, and bodily identity. Introspective identity is based off of the groups, mentalities, or beliefs that you align yourself with, and bodily identity is based off of the physical side of yourself. Whether physical or introspective, your identity impacts every action you take. Whether choices ranging from what colors you prefer to which college you want to attend are primarily based off of your introspective identity, which is a combination of both memory and consciousness, physical identity impacts how others perceive you. Consciousness is mainly the awareness of bodily identity as well as continuous introspective identify, while memory is awareness of introspective identity. These two different facets of identity are imperative in the distinction between bodily identity and introspective identity. In means of personal identity introspective identity (which is evident in memory), is essential, while bodily identity (based partially in consciousness) has less credit.

The African American experience is one that is quite different from other racial/ ethnic groups. The majority of the first African American came over, unwillingly, on ships from various African countries. They were brought to America by white, European settlers to be used as slaves in an order to plant and harvest their crops and make money for the white man. This racial group was treated as if they were property and not people. However, with the ending of the American Civil War, African Americans gained freedom, freedom that not all white American were quite ready to handle. After gaining their freedom came the need for education, jobs and suffrage rights. Now in America this racial group has come a long way, having elected its first African American present for two terms, yet still there are many issues that are very prevalent. This racial group has been fighting their way to equality since the birth of this nation. African Americans have experienced an array of conflict, violence, stereotypes, prejudice acts, and discrimination against them throughout their history in America.