As a supplement to my personal comments, those who are interested my want to read this online research article about racial identity in Black youth:

http://64.233.169.132/search?q=cache:TmfJILoWO5QJ:sitemaker.umich.edu/daphna.oyserman/files/doyserman.pdf+african+american+ident

Here are some excerpts of that article:

"For African American youth, answers to the 'who am I?' question are likely to include both distinctive, unique features of the self one will become and also representations of oneself as a black person in America. That is, the self-concept is likely to contain both personal identity and also racial identity - a sense of what it means to be both American and of African heritage. In this way, racial identity deals with the dual membership of African Americans -- membership in a group with traditions, culture and heritage that is interdependent or collectivistic in focus and also as a membership in a post-industrial, individualistically oriented society that has negative stereotypes about one's racial group...

Research on African American or black identity has focused... primarily on [a] sense of connectedness or common fate, a positive sense of heritage and history, and [an] awareness of racism and negative stereotyping as identity components...

In our work, we focus on the 'insiders view', asking what is the experience of being African American for black youths. Our premise is that in urban centers black youths cannot choose to ignore or not take into account this social identity...

Positive in-group attitudes and identification are correlated with higher self-esteem, less stress andless delinquent involvement (McCreary, Slavin, & Berry, 1996; Beale-Spencer, Cunningham, &Swanson, 1995). Bat-Chava & Steen's (1996) recent meta-analysis of doctoral and master theses studies suggests a moderate connection between various measures of ethnic identity and self-esteem. Further, it seems plausible that racial identity will be linked with reduced risk of depression first because feeling connected to one's community provides a positive sense of one'sroots and a sense of belonging, reducing sense of isolation and aloneness. And secondly, being aware of racism provides a non-self-denigrating explanation for setbacks and failures, reducing excessive self-blame (Crocker & Major, 1989). Defining oneself in terms of both of these components of racial identity is likely to provide a sense of rootedness (I know where I came from and who I belong to) and an understanding of possible negative responses from others or difficulties (Some people may expect less of me because I am black). Reading the literature, it becomes clear that ethnic and racial identity are typically measured by some mix of items focused on the importance and centrality of ethnic or racial group membership to one's sense of self, one's everyday behaviors or everyday life. In addition, sense of common fate and positive connection to the traditions and heritage are commonly assessed."...