The Psychology of Self Hatred

With this book Amos Wilson shows us again why so many consider him the single greatest mind Afrikan-Americans ever produced in the field of psychology. Though he lived his life in relative obscurity, he produced some the greatest works in the field of black psychology during his short duration on Earth. (As a side note, it's interesting how often the most brilliant minds are also the most obscure. You routinely find the smartest people were the least known/visible during their day.) This book is just another example of his brilliance.

The book is basically a series of lectures where Wilson lays out a comprehensive theory of the phenomena of black self-hatred, self-defeat and self-alienation. But unlike many before him (and since), Wilson doesn't simply take a phenomenological approach to the subject, but rather a more psychoanalytical and explanatory approach which better illuminates the actual psychological dynamics and mechanisms involved, thus laying the potential bases for the formulation of real remedial and therapeutic approaches. Up until this point, most intellectuals and scholars who have written on the subject dealt with it only on a basic symptomatic and experiential level (i.e., a general account or rundown of "the black experience" and the pain of being black and dealing with these psychological issues). Here, Wilson goes far beyond, covering everything from how self-hatred and alienation are actually induced, to practical implications and strategies for correcting self-defeating behavior! He provides a profound, deeper understanding which can truly lay the basis for "the reclamation of the Afrikan mind." If you looking to better understand the psychology of self-hatred and self-defeat and arrive at actual solutions, then this is THE book to read above all others!