Ethnic Identity, Cultural Mistrust, And Self-Esteem Of Students Of African Descent And Their Preference For

Based on the findings from the results of this study, the following conclusions were reached: (1) Psychological and sociological variables such as self-esteem, racial identity, cultural mistrust, ethnic identity, and student’s ethnicity should not be considered together when attempting to predict students ’ preference for a Black counselor. These variables together accounted for eight percent of the variance in preference for a Black counselor. (2) A positive relationship existed between students ’ ethnicity and their preference for a Black counselor; American Black students are those who preferred a Black Counselor. (3) In general, a prediction model generated to explain preference for a white counselor among college students attending a historically Black university should not include the variables racial identity, cultural mistrust, self-esteem, ethnic identity, and students ’ ethnicity. (4) Students ’ ethnicity was not independently related to the preference of counselor regardless of the counselors ’ race. (5) A model to predict the preference of a counselor regardless of race should not include variables such as racial identity, cultural mistrust, self-esteem, ethnic identity and student’s ethnicity. These variables jointly accounted for seven percent of the variance in preference of counselor regardless of race. The author presents several implications for the consideration of counselors. n today’s society of increasing diversity, counselors must be adequately prepared to address the challenges presented when counseling ethnically, racially and culturally diverse students. According to the United States Bureau of the Census (2001), “College students who represent the North American school system have becom