Filed under: Politics, Race and Civil Rights
"This is the first empirical study we know of that shows a relationship between racial identity and happiness," said Stevie C.Y. Yap, who is the lead researcher on the project.
While there have been studies linking racial identity to higher self-esteem, none have actually connected it to happiness. The study surveyed black adults in the state of Michigan. They found that the more the subject identified with being black, or the more important their blackness was to them, the happier they were with life in general.
The authors speculate that it's the subject's feeling of belonging that fuels the connection. Those with a strong black identity feel connected to their race, making them more comfortable with who they are and their overall quality of life. The results are strongest in women.
I remember the cold, difficult nights I had during my many years trying to earn a PhD (which I thought I was never going to get). I felt like a fish out of water, being the only African American in the entire United States to earn a PhD in Finance during my year of graduation. I was surrounded by white males who not only completely misunderstood who I was, but didn't really care to try to learn anything about me. My blackness was not considered an asset to my standing as a doctoral student, but actually a liability that I would be able to overcome with hard work and determination. I was being invited into the white male club, and I would remain a member in good standing as long as I promised not to do anything that reminded them that I was an African American male.
After being frustrated about having to hide who I truly was, I declared a revolution within my own spirit. I realized that as long as I kept trying to be someone else, I'd always be a step behind the people I spent my time emulating. So, I figured that there was nothing wrong with being Boyce Watkins, and that my best strategy for success was to be the best version of Boyce that I could be. That man is a black man who wants to use his scholarly capability to help his community, and he can't apologize for that.
While sprinting off the "academic plantation" certainly took me out of good standing with the professors who originally supported me, I was able to experience a degree of personal fulfillment unmatched by anything I'd ever done in life. I met volatility from colleagues at Syracuse University, who wondered why I "wasted my time" doing "unimportant scholarly work," but I was also able to have an impact on my community that I never would have achieved had I continued to submit to academic and cultural imperialism. At the same time, I've seen colleagues who played the game, let go of who they were, and walked away from their black identity only to find themselves depressed, humiliated and even suicidal.
The point in all this? Teaching our kids who they are and reminding them to never let go of their identity is important for their personal development. The old school model of running away from your background must be replaced with models that remind us that black is beautiful, good and something to be proud of. Therefore, even if the rest of the world hates you, at least you will always have love for yourself.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. To follow Dr. Boyce on Facebook, please click here.