Toward a Global World Community: The Role of Black Psychologists

Abstract

Over the past century, integrationism, separatism, accommodation, assimilation, and tolerance have provided the recurring root metaphors for conceptualizing interethnic relations across the globe. The effort to preserve or secure ethnic identity and sociopolitical autonomy in an increasingly interdependent world has required ethnic groups to face the insurmountable paradox posed by these root metaphors for understanding interethnic relations. On the one hand, ethnic groups are rightfully concerned about the preservation of their autonomy and cultural identity; on the other, a well-functioning, multiethnic, global society requires that we overcome the inherent limitations associated with tribalism, racialism, and nationalism. The current long-standing debate that compares the merits of integrationism, separatism, accommodation, assimilation, and tolerance has thus become stale and unproductive. An emerging dialogue, however, seeks to articulate an organic (dialogic) metaphorfor conceptualizing interethnic relations and to elucidate the processes whereby such a metaphor may be given practical reality. This article describes these processes and recommends a role for Black psychologists in the transition to a global world community.