The Psychological Importance of Self Definition and Labeling: Black Versus African American

Abstract

The term African American is currently being used interchangeably with the term Black and is increasingly being advanced as a self referent for Americans of African descent. As Black Americans deliberate and undergo this semantic metamorphosis, it is important to understand the reason, rationale, and significance of this name change for psychological self affirmation, cultural identity, and the collective progress of Americans of African descent. This paper explores a variety of issues related to self labeling and provides a theoretical argument supporting the conceptual shift from Black to African American. Finally the two terms are compared and evaluated in reference to contemporary psychological theories on self identity and mental health.