History

The Psychology of “Blackness”
Understanding William E. Cross’s “Nigresence Model”

The Psychology of the African American Experience
In 1971, black psychologist William E. Cross created a model for assessing how black Americans come to understand and appreciate what it means to be black. Called the Nigrescence Model of Racial Identity Development, this model has evolved overtime. According to Cross, in the process of developing a healthy and balanced understanding of what it means to black in America, each individual black American goes through a series of five stages. Cross argues that not everyone goes through all of the stages. However, he asserts that those stages that one does go through must be done in order. Moreover, while an individual cannot skip a stage, he/she can regress. The five stages are listed below, and, in the following slides, we will be exploring what is entailed in each of the stages.
William E. Cross’ Nigrescence Model—Five Stages of Racial Identity Development
Pre-Encounter Stage
Encounter Stage
Immersion Stage
Internalization Stage
Internalization-Commitment Stage

The Pre-Encounter Stage
According to Cross, every black American begins his/her life in (and is often reared under) the first stage of the Nigresence Model—the Pre-Encounter Stage. Consciously or subconsciously, individuals in the Pre-Encounter stage maintain pro-white and anti-black attitudes. As such, individuals in the Pre-Encounter stage often display shame about or a level of discomfort with the characteristics (physical, cultural, social, etc.) of black Americans and an elevated sense of affinity (if not outright envy) for so-call white middle-class mores and virtues. The Pre-Encounter stage is linked to the notion of “Black Self-Hatred.” Those who are most overtly in this stage might say or feel things like “Black folks can never get their stuff together” or “She is cute for being so dark” or “Girl, I have to go get my hair permed right away, because my kitchen is beading up!” They might be sensitive about the shade of their skin tones or the widths of their noses or the kinkiness of their hair. They might seek to lighten their complexions or change their eye color or straighten their hair. In extreme cases, individuals in the Pre-Encounter stage might also feel that even the best black institution could not meet the standards of even the most mediocre white institutions. (i.e. “I would not go to that Negro School Howard University, because I need to learn how to deal in the ‘real world.’”)

Generally, those who are in the Pre-Encounter stage fall into one of two clusters—the Anti-Black cluster and the Assimilation cluster.
Those who fall in the Anti-Black cluster of the Pre-Encounter stage often dwell on what they see as being negative aspects of the black race (neglecting to recognize the virtues), and identify with white standards of beauty and comportment. Cross maintained that it is hard to pass through the formal education system or view popular culture in America without being exposed to (if not internalizing) negative notions about Africa and African Americans. Thus, it is extremely hard (if not impossible) for blacks not to be mis-educated at some point(s) in their lives.
Those who fall in the Assimilation cluster generally demonstrate a low “salience” for or understand about what it truly means to be black. They often prefer to identify themselves with belonging to some other ethnic category or some “special” class of black folks. Such individuals have a very limited view of what it means to be black. They are not necessarily overtly anti-black, but often prefer to primarily be seen as being something else. As such, an individual in the assimilation cluster might say something like: “Sure I am black, but, more importantly, I am an American (or a hip hop artist or a doctor or a homosexual or an Evangelical or a teenager, or a “true G,” etc.).” Such individuals are not necessarily overtly ashamed of being black, but they are not overtly proud of being black either.

Pre-Encounter and The Boondocks
In the comic strip (and the television series) The Boondocks, the most extreme characteristics of the Anti-Black cluster of the Pre-Encounter stage can be seen in the character Uncle Ruckus. Representing black self-hate in the fullest, Uncle Ruckus makes it clear that he believes that all things black are ugly and all things white are refined. Most people who are in the Anti-Black cluster would not be as overtly filled with racial self-hate as Uncle Ruckus.

The Anti-Black Cluster of the Pre-Encounter Stage in The Boondocks (cont.)

The character Jazmine in The Boondocks might be a good example of someone in the Assimilation cluster of the Pre-Encounter stage. She is biracial, but has little knowledge about black history or culture, and often expresses discomfort about her physical features.

The Assimilation Cluster of the Pre-Encounter stage in The Boondocks (cont.)

The Assimilation Cluster of the Pre-Encounter stage in The Boondocks (cont.)

The character Riley in The Boondocks also might be a good example of someone in the Assimilation cluster of the Pre-Encounter stage. Riley’s impressions about what it means to be black are very limited and stereotypical. However, rather than distancing himself from those stereotypes like someone in the Anti-Black cluster would, he embraces them. Riley knows practically nothing about black history and is not interested in learning. He is more interested in rims than in reading. He is more concerned with “keepin’ it real” than in making it right.

The Boondocks and the Assimilation cluster of the Pre-Encounter stage (cont.)

The Boondocks and the Assimilation cluster of the Pre-Encounter stage (cont.)

Extreme Versions
While Uncle Ruckus, Riley, and Jasmine provide examples of the personalities of individuals in the Pre-Encounter stage, The Boondocks deals in satire. Therefore, the characters are exaggerated. Most people who are in or have gone through the Pre-Encounter stage would not be as extreme as the those featured in The Boondocks. The same could be said about the comic’s characters in the latter stages.

Perhaps the simplest way to describe the thoughts and/or behaviors of individuals who demonstrate elements of the Pre-Encounter stage is to note that such individuals tend to judge “whiteness” from the top-down and “blackness” from the bottom-up. In other words, such individuals tend to ascribe the accomplishments of the most successful elements of the broader white community to “whiteness” and the least successful of the black community to “blackness.”
Pre-Encounter Judges “Blackness” from the Bottom-Up

Although most white people are not college-graduates and are not wealthy, some people ascribe reflections of aspiring towards such things as “acting white.” And, although most black people are not criminals, do not rely on welfare programs for their livelihoods, and do not “act a fool” in public, some people ascribe reflections of such things as “acting black.” When asked to describe the average “white neighborhood,” people will often use terms like “suburban,” “nice,” “white-picketed fence,” despite the fact that white people live in all kinds of neighborhoods from affluent communities to working-class and lower-income trailer parks. However, when asked to describe the average “black neighborhood,” people who demonstrate elements of the Pre-Encounter stage will often use terms like “ghetto” or “unkempt,” despite the fact that our very own Prince George’s County is a reflection of the fact that there are majority black communities of all economic types.
“Actin’ Black?”

The notion that black people who—naturally or otherwise—display straight or wavy hair textures that resemble commonly-held hair textures of white people have “good hair” and those whose hair texture is more wooly or thick have “bad hair” is a reflection of a Pre-Encounter mindset. How often do you hear people respond to compliments about their hair by saying “Thank you, I have AFRICAN in my family.”? Cross argued that it is virtually impossible not to internalize such Pre-Encounter notions in a society that emphasizes and/or celebrates “whiteness” and often under-appreciates and/or ridicules “blackness.” Furthermore, Cross argues that in order to overcome such notions, one has to acknowledge that they exist.
“I Got Indian in My Family…”

The Encounter Stage
In this stage, individuals are exposed to something (or a series of events over time) that makes them aware that they are, in deed, black, and they become interested in knowing something about what it means to be black besides typical stereotypes of the race. The “encounter” can be a positive experience like witnessing the beauty of a performance by the Alvin Alley Dance Theatre or a negative event like being called a nigger or being racially profiled by the police. Whatever the encounter, it acts as a wake-up call.

The Immersion Stage
This stage is often seen as the most intense of the five stages. While notions of this stage have evolved somewhat over the years, it is typically seen as the stage in which the individual contends that everything “Black” or Afrocentric is good. They are overtly Pro-Black. Some who go through this stage (but not everyone) also contend that everything “white” or Eurocentric is bad.

The Immersion Stage (cont.)
An individual in this stage immerses him/herself in all things “Black.” He/she becomes a voracious reader of books about black history and thought like Wretched of the Earth and The Autobiography of Malcolm X. A person in this stage might change his/her name from a “government” name to one he/she feel is more Afrocentric. An individual in this stage might convert to a new religion and/or begin to wear Afrocentric clothes and hairstyles. Individuals in the Immersion stage seek out others in the immersion stage. Often, individuals in this stage view other blacks who are not in this stage as being “Uncle Toms” or “Sell Outs” or “dumb, death, and blind to the true essence of blackness.” Essentially, individuals in this stage can be described as being “Blacker Than Thou.”

Individuals in the Immersion stage typically view white institutions, standards of beauty, cultural norms, history, and people as being backwards at best, and plain evil at worst. Maintaining overtly “Pro-Black” postures, they are not interested in listening to white musicians. They probably would not be regular viewers of shows like Two And A Half Men or How I Met Your Mother. And, they might be conspicuously rude or stand-offish to a white person without direct provocation. They might (but not necessarily) begin using terms like “White Devil” and “Cracker” in casual conversations. But, let me reiterate, not everyone who goes through the Immersion stage displays anti-white attitudes. Many simply become disinterested in conforming to white standards and neither love nor hate white people.
Immersion (cont.)

Immersion (cont.)
The Immersion stage can be a beautiful stage in which to be. People in this stage often create some of the most important art, literature, music, etc. People in this stage might be activists and highly motivated people. People in this stage read about and encounter some harsh racist and racial realities of history and the present. As such, Cross argued that, because being in this stage evokes exceedingly intense emotions, if an individual stays in it too long, it can drive him/her to become anti-social or maladjusted. It is during this stage that individuals often become upset with white-controlled society for what they see as deceiving them and their people for so many years. This sense of being upset with white society can transform into “Black Rage” if not controlled.

In The Boondocks, Huey Freeman might be a good representation of an individual in the Immersion stage. Huey is extremely pro-black. He actively seeks to improve the conditions of black folks. However, he is not overtly anti-white. He simply is disinterested in maintaining the false assumption that everything great flows from white culture.

The Immersion Stage and The Boondocks (cont.)

The Immersion Stage and The Boondocks (cont.)

The Internalization Stage
This stage is defined by the term Black Self-Actualization which translates into a state of not only being proud of being black, but also being able to function comfortably in society at large. Those who are in this stage have deeply challenged stereotypical notions of blackness. Through rigorous study and action, they have developed deeper and truer ideas of what it means to be black. Those in the Internalization stage might best be described as being able to be content with and/or and proud of being black without “romanticizing Blackness” or harboring a general distain toward white people or institutions. Moreover, they are not jealous or envious of other cultures.
Individuals in this stage like being around black people and strive to continue to learn about their race. However, they can acknowledge that sometimes black folks do messed up things, and, more significantly, it is not always the white man’s fault that black folks are doing messed up stuff. In this stage, a black person can see the beauty in both “black” and “white” cultures (as well as that of other cultures). However, he/she would still seek to be around black people and institutions most commonly.

As the elder in The Boondocks, the character Grandpa may be an example of an individual in the Internalization stage of the Nigresence Model.

The Internalization-Commitment Stage
Originally, Cross saw the Internalization stage as being the ultimate stage a black person could reach. However, he later added the Internalization-Commitment stage and suggested it was the ultimate stage that black people should strive to get to.

In the Internalization-Commitment stage, a black person sees him/herself as belonging to the entire human family and actively seeks to deal with a wide array of people and fight for a wide array of causes. Whereas, an individual in the Immersion or Internalization stage might fight to free Mumia Abu Jamal or rally against racial profiling and the Rockefeller laws, an individual in the Internalization-Commitment Stage might see it as being more important to join Amnesty International, Green Peace, PETA or some other activist organization that is not specifically oriented toward securing the rights of blacks. In this phase, an individual might contend that, while they are proud of being black, they are not “restricted” to blackness. For an individual in this stage, people are really just people, regardless of race.
Internalization-Commitment (cont.)

Whereas Grandpa from The Boondocks may be considered to be in the Internalization stage, Tom Dubois would likely be an example of someone in the Internalization-Commitment stage. Here is a cartoon from the 2000 presidential campaign season. Tom discusses politics with his wife (who just happens to be white).

The Internalization-Commitment Stage (cont.)

The Internalization-Commitment Stage (cont.)

What are the strengths and limitations of William E. Cross’s Nigresence Model of Racial Identity Development?
The Five Stages of Cross’s Nigresence Model
Pre-Encounter
Encounter
Immersion
Internalization
Internalization-Commitment
Can the Nigresence Model be used to assess the racial identity development of non-American blacks or members of other races?
If applicable, what stage are you in and how did you get there?