Self-Hatred in Americans of African Descent*

In spite of attempts to destigmatize themselves with the "black is beautiful " rhetoric, efforts by Americans of African descent to disavow their imputed inferiority have not been successful. The black is reacted to as a handicapped person by the white American. Whites look with disdain on black-white sexual relationships, black language, and culture. They discriminate against blacks in housing, education, employment, religicn, and criminaljustice...The effect of these responses on the self-concept of the rejected black person is self-hatred, because consciously and unconsciously the dominant person's acceptance means so much to him. The most direct way to remove self-hatred in black Americans is to excise racism in the society at large. (Author/DE