Toward a black psychology of leisure: An 'Akbarian' critique

Abstract

There are a number of institutions posited as vestibules for maintaining and reinforcing rituals and celebrations of African consciousness (i.e., education, religion, arts, etc.). The one that does not readily come to mind, however, is leisure (i.e., organized sport and physical activity). Leisure is salient to African Americans and is the terrain by which their personal and social identities are often nurtured. Ironically, leisure also represents a cultured space where racial oppression abounds, and is therefore often a contested space for African Americans. This essay offers a critique of the emancipatory properties of leisure through the lenses ofNa 'im Akbar's African-centered paradigm, via the tenets ofself-knowledge (e.g., racial-self affirmation) and collective liberation (e.g., spiritual rhythm and racial kinship). It demonstrates how (at the individual/micro level) African Americans may engage in constitutive and regulatory leisure practices that enlarge their spiritual, experiential, and perceptual spheres offreedom, thereby allowing them some control over the nature and quality of their leisure experiences. In so doing, this essay elucidates the 'Black Psychology ' that undergirds African Americans ' leisure pursuits.