Black, with a white parent, a positive and achievable identity

This paper focuses on black children with a white parent in Britain. It is based on historical, research and theoretical material deriving largely fro m anti-racist and psychological frameworks and synthesizes and critically r eappraises the existing research on black children with a white parent, liv ing with their original families, in Britain. The objective is to 'normaliz e' black children with a white parent by identifying and rejecting the forc es that pathologize them. The paper therefore highlights the racism, margin alization and alienation which are likely to impact on their world so that action may be taken to combat these. A lack of clarity as to the personal a nd political complexity of identity has hampered professional perspectives and intervention. The paper consequently explores, from a postmodernist bla ck perspective, the 'racial' self-concepts that are available to this group , identifying their underlying agendas and their consequences. It concludes that the availability of the self-concept 'black, with a white parent', of fered in the framework of change, multiplicity and individuality, is benefi cial. However any consideration of 'racial' self-concept or identity is dee med productive only when combined with efforts to reduce racism, marginaliz ation and alienation.