Beware of Whites Bearing Gifts
GERALD MELCHIODE M.D.,
SAM C. GOULD M.D.1, , and
PAUL JAY FINK M.D.
1 U.S. Army
The authors describe their study of four black students who participated in a special 13th year of schooling in predominantly white private schools. They found that the students' difficulties in the program resulted in a loss of self-esteem and the precipitation of an identity crisis to which they were particularly vulnerable because of inadequate preparation and the lack of peer support. The authors present a set of recommendations for prevention of these difficulties in other programs.
