Impact of Racial Prejudice on Black Youth's Self-image

Racial prejudice was blatantly displayed in the form of slavery 150 years ago. These negative racial attitudes were still obvious over 50 years ago when black Americans were discriminated against by the act of segregation. Prejudices toward black Americans may not be as evident as they were then, but they still occur. Prejudices present themselves in a fashion where black children are aware of them and begin to hold their own. Racial prejudice contributes to discrimination and impacts the perceptions held by black youth and their self-image.

Literature Review

Experiences with racism Black children between ages 8 and 18, along with other minorities in America, were interviewed on their experiences with discrimination (Pachter, Bernstein,

Parents were asked whether or not they have been personally afflicted by racism and whether or not people they know have been afflicted by racism (O’Brien Caughy, O'Campo, & Muntaner, 2004). It was found that “parents who denied experiencing racism had the highest behavioral problems among their children” (O’Brien Caughy, O'Campo, & Muntaner, 2004). The parents who denied having been personally discriminated against were more apt to have children who suffered from anxiety and depression in this study (O’Brien Caughy, O'Campo, & Muntaner, 2004). Those who confronted their own personal experiences with racism were less likely to have children who suffered from mental

These observations of prejudice reflect their own views about race. Black youth are especially affected by this. Several studies have yielded similar results to prove that a majority of black children have a negative perception of dark skin and associate it with negative characteristics (Clark & Clark, 1947). The age of the child does not make a sizable difference in their perceptions (CNN, 2010). Many black youths admit to experiencing racial discrimination (Pachter, Bernstein, Szalacha, & Coll, 2010). Black children who are exposed to prejudice are susceptible to lower self-images of themselves (Burnett, 2012). They can also experience indirect effects of prejudice by means of their parents. When black adults deny their contact with racism, they reinforce the negative perceptions of their children which can lead to mental illness. Parents who confront their experiences have children with a lower susceptibility to said illnesses than those who do not (O’Brien Caughy, O'Campo, & Muntaner,