Black Identity

Black identities are multifaceted and diverse and are as unique as your fingerprint. Many people do not assume this because of narratives told about Black people, which have turned into stereotypes and misnomers. Examples of these stereotypes include:

• All Black people were slaves
• All Black people are good athletes
• All Black young men are rappers
• All Black young women are hypersexual

The narratives spun about Black people make it hard for any Black person--especially young Black children—to imagine their identity beyond stereotypes. Often for Black youth, stereotypes, and not greatness, are the expectation.

As seen in the Erasure section, Black success is often eliminated from history, which reinforces the imagery that negative Black stereotypes create.