An Essential Study on Culture and the Psychology of Racism

May 24, 2020 Book Review…, News

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Book: Conflict of Identity: From the Slave Trade to Present Day – One Man’s Healing in Benin, Africa
Author: Glenville Ashby, PhD
Reviewer: Sherwyn Besson

“Healing is possible only when the false self reconnects to the womb.” – Glenville Ashby
In this ambitious project, Dr. Glenville Ashby posits compelling solutions to the cumulative impact of systemic racism and policies of benign neglect, on people of African ancestry. The study uses a zoom lens to look at the psychological pathologies of the African in America, highlighting in precise language, the socio-economic damage and psychological trauma inflicted on victims. ‘Conflict of Identity’ drills deeper into post-traumatic slave syndrome, drawing out its granular elements: the relationship between maladaptive behaviour in response to oppression, and the collective unconscious, “a kind of memory bank that shapes our overall behaviour.”
Dr. Ashby examines the psycho-cultural dynamics on the continent and the Diaspora. They are distinct and unique to each region. For example, he argues that the psychopathology of the slave trade is different to that created by slavery. He explores the silence of the African on the continent that is erroneously attributed to guilt for its complicity in the slave trade (a subject he explores in detail). The silence, he explains, is a traumatic outcome of the pervasive sexual crimes (rape) that ravished the psyche of generations. The history of the slave trade, he argues, is pretty much the history of sexual abuse of African girls and women.
‘Conflict of Identity’ distinguishes itself from other prominent works of qualitative research in the field, as Dr. Ashby introduces new and visceral concepts including ‘fractured self’ and ‘false self,’ to deepen and expand readers’ understanding of the uniquely devastating impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Of the ‘fractured self,’ he pens, “It is the denial and rejection of one’s blackness to the point of erasing it from one’s awareness, and manifests as attempts to alter facial contours and complexion by claiming multiple ancestries that are non-existent or marginal.” The ‘false self,’ the persona adopted by the majority, employs viable coping mechanism to effectively function in society. Regarding this psychological dynamic, he notes, “The first reaction of the ego… is to eject a painful experience, but if unsuccessful, it must find ways to process it through defense mechanism or adaptions. This is the only way the mind can function in a reasonably rational way.”
Dr. Ashby explores the nurturing stages of the black child, writing, “Racism, colorism, class, and economics are part of a gestalt that mold the individual psyche. For the black child this gestalt can prove onerously conflicting. In the classical sense, the primary care giver (in most cases, the mother), can inadvertently, and in some cases willfully, separate the child from his or her Africanness – the bad image – creating greater racial turmoil in the process…”
However, Dr. Ashby’s work thrives on the quality of solutions he posits, much of which evolves from a proprietary codex based on language, symbols, and kinesthetics. Dr. Ashby excels in his development of ‘womb therapy,’ an audacious philosophical invention, with supernatural powers of mending and healing, even to the most broken African soul. “The destruction of the womb in the form of Africa’s desolation and colonization triggered adverse psychological repercussions,” he writes. “Africa’ womb was desecrated, creating a cosmic imbalance that would affect generations of its children.” Nevertheless, the womb, states Dr. Ashby, is the reservoir of healing to which we must return. “There are countless griots, elders and teachers willing to embrace and teach those of us in the Diaspora.” He argues that the womb is more than protective and nurturing, that, once visited, we must “find our way through a labyrinth of emotions, and ultimately heal individually and collectively.” He adds, “Going back to the source, no matter the emotional peril is necessary. This explains why adoptees seek out their biological parents. It explains why memorials are erected where tragedies occurred.” Notably, Dr. Ashby states that womb transcends physical space and its indestructibility rests in the collective unconscious of its people.

The author presents a theorem, a codex for daily living that is divided into what he calls, ‘The 4-R Model: Re-Thinking, Re-Learning, Re-Speaking and Re-Doing.
He introduces symbols and proverbs, that, once rightly utilized, will facilitate the much needed shift in the consciousness of a wounded people. Dr. Ashby later explores topical issues, such as, reparations, China’s presence in Africa, and mainstream religions as they relate to Afrocentric philosophy. He ends his treatise with excerpts from his diary during his first visit to Benin.
With an intriguing interplay of psychology and culture, ‘Conflict of Identity’ boldly achieves another step toward the understanding and restoration of people of African ancestry in America, and beyond. It is required reading for those involved in, or concerned with, the holistic health and education of people of the Diaspora. Dr. Ashby’s voice is an important one. This work is therapeutic reading and potent smelling salts for those sedated by integration and worn faint by unrelenting racism.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Sherwyn Besson – Business and Virtual Enterprise Coordinator, New York City Department of Education – High School for Arts and Business, Corona, New York.
Conflict of Identity: From the Slave Trade to Present Day – One Man’s Healing in Benin, Africa
(C) Copyright 2020 Glenville Ashby PhD
Publisher: Booklocker Publishing, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
ISBN: 978-1-64718-015-7
Available at Amazon
Ratings: Essential

 

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