Slavery and Self-Esteem

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Self-esteem
Self-esteem is a term used to describe self-evaluation. The term self-evaluation is used to express that self-esteem is a product of personal reflection. A person with a high self-esteem has positive self-regard while a person with low self-esteem has negative self-regard. Self-esteem can be impacted by several external factors and is most impacted in the childhood years. Individuals who feel respected in their childhood are more likely to develop high self-esteem. Signs of respect include being listened to and being given attention. Such actions make a child feel loved and valued. Children who are exposed to more disrespectful actions like abuse, or harsh criticism are more likely to develop a low self-esteem.
The formation of self-esteem in children is widely dependent on feeling accepted, appreciated, and endeared in their social environment. Creating a positive social environment for a child can result in the child’s success in the future. People with high self-esteem feel confident in themselves. This makes them more likely to inquire and challenge themselves. Those traits are important in adolescent and adulthood people expect that excelling academically with result in a high paying job. The difference between achieving financial security in the future can be highly dependent on self-esteem. People with low self-esteem are plagued with anxiety and drug use problems. That lowers the likelihood of academic success. Low self-esteem can be discouraging to the point where the individual loses motivation.
It is important to provide children with a stable and loving environment because “a person who is competent and effective and who is loved, admired, and respected by others will almost always have high self-esteem....

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National Museum of American History. (n.d.). Separate but Equal - Separate Is Not Equal. Retrieved February/March, 2014, from http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/1-segregated/separate-but-equal.html
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