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“The Question of Reparations to Black Americans: Psychological Factors” with Shierry Nicholsen, PhD (SPSI Scientific Session)
April 19, 2022 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
— FreeNOTE: Sandra Walker, MD will be presenting the paper, as Dr. Nicholsen will, unfortunately, not be available to attend.
Polls indicate that most white Americans do not support reparations to black Americans for the consequences of slavery. After outlining the case for reparations – which may be unfamiliar to many in the audience – Dr. Nicholsen investigates the psychological dynamics involved in white Americans’ opposition to reparations.
These dynamics are not equivalent to racist or anti-racist attitudes but rather can be thought of as aspects of what analyst Lynne Layton calls “the normative unconscious,” which includes “white ignorance” [Charles W. Mills], a self-sacrificing devotion to the cause of white supremacy, and defensive rage warding off threats to white identity and fantasied retaliation by Black victims of racism.
The Question of Reparations for Black Americans: Psychological Factors (PDF)
Shierry Weber Nicholsen, PhD, a former faculty member of SPSI and NPSI, is a psychoanalyst in private practice in Seattle. She is the author of The Love of Nature and the End of the World: the Unspoken Dimensions of Environmental Concern. She is currently working on a book on moral injury.
“Discussion about the Question of Reparations”
Discussant: Chris Keats, MD
Discussion of “The Question of Reparations” (PDF)
Chris Keats, MD is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst in private practice in Bellevue. He is a consulting analyst and currently Director of SPSI.
Learning Objectives
After attending this presentation, participants should be able to:
- understand the argument supporting reparations for Black Americans.
- understand the difference between an individual’s racist attitudes and unconscious societal norms concerning race.
- become acquainted with some of the defensive dynamics involved in whites’ opposition to reparations for Black Americans.
If you have a psychoanalytic idea that you would like to present, contact Stan Case or Ron Levin. Presenting offers the benefit of having your idea discussed and further developed.
SPSI Scientific Sessions are free to attendees.