BLACK SELF-IDENTITY AND CRIME (FROM CRIME AND ITS IMPACT ON THE BLACK COMMUNITY, 1976, BY LAWRENCE E GARY AND LEE P BROWN - SEE NCJ-48198)

• NCJ Number: 48206
• Author(s): A C GULLATEE
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Howard University
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BLACK SENSE OF SELF-IDENTITY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO BLACK CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IS EXPLORED, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVED BLACK IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT ARE PRESENTED.

Abstract

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD'S ASSOCIATION OF VALUES WITH VARIOUS COLORS IS EXAMINED. IT IS MAINTAINED THAT UNDER A COLOR SYMBOLISM TRANSFERRED THROUGH A WHITE-DOMINATED CULTURE, BLACKS DEVELOP A CONSCIOUSNESS THAT BLACK IS EVIL AND WHITE IS PURE. THE NORMS OF THE WHITE CULTURE THEREFORE SYMBOLIZE GOODNESS AND THAT WHICH IS DISTINCTIVELY CHARACTERISTIC OF BLACK CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES AND BEHAVIOR IS VIEWED NEGATIVELY BY BLACKS THEMSELVES. CRIMES INVOLVING BLACKS VICTIMIZING BLACKS ARE INTERPRETED AS BEHAVIOR MOTIVATED BY SELF-HATE. A DEVELOPMENT AMONG BLACKS THAT EMPHASIZES THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF BEING BLACK AND CONFORMING TO DISTINCTIVE NORMS OF THE BLACK CULTURE IS VIEWED AS THE REMEDY TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR SPAWNED BY SELF-HATE. IT IS ADVOCATED THAT BLACKS SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON RESEARCHING AND NORMALIZING DISTINCTIVELY BLACK CULTURAL ROOTS, AND CAREFULLY APPRAISE WHITE CULTURAL NORMS TO DESENSITIZE THOSE ASPECTS THAT CONDITION NEGATIVE SELF-IMAGE AMONG BLACKS. (RCB)