Although the impact of racial identity was not specifically addressed by Erikson, he did do a lot of work with American Indians. He noted that certain psychological symptoms seemed to be related to a sense of alienation from cultural traditions and resulted in the lack of a clear self-image or self-identity.

Research shows the importance of developing and maintaining a racial or ethnic identity for minority groups. Many studies of Latino, Asian, and Black teenagers in the United States, Hong Kong, and Canada show that a strong ethnic identity is related to psychological well-being, high self-esteem, strong social bonds, satisfaction with life, and good academic motivation.

In the video, A Girl Like Me, an African-American teen takes an honest look at what it means for this group of African- American teens to be black in America. After watching the video, post your reaction to the words and images. Some of you may be able to strongly relate to the information discussed in the video even if you aren’t African-American. Some of you who are African-American may have had a different experience than the teens in this video. Describe your reactions. Describe your experiences. Explain how race and ethnicity relate to the development of your identity.

Your initial thread should be 250-350 words in length.

For this discussion post, there will be no minimum number of words or replies. However, what you post needs to fully convey your reaction to the video. So, simply saying “I liked it” does not give anyone a complete understanding of your response. Similarly, while there is no specific requirement for replies or “touches”, you will be assessed based on the quality and quantity of your replies. This should be a natural flow of ideas and conversations, so don’t get caught up in logistics. Instead – DISCUSS!

**Because this assignment is an open discussion on racial issues, you need to be sensitive. Any comments that are considered to be insensitive by the instructor, will be immediately removed and a 0 will be given for the assignment.