Abstract
One of the perennial problems facing Afro-Americans since their introduction into the western hemisphere has been that of choosing between integration and separation in their quest for political and economic justice and equity. W.E.B. DuBois’s often quoted observation that American blacks have within them two warring souls, one black and one American, is in many ways at the root of any discussion concerning this problem. For, throughout American history blacks have been confronted with the goals, aspirations, and demands attendant to their American presence and those relating to their African or racial heritage. Concisely, should they struggle to become a part of the American system in a manner which relegates their African and Afro-American traditions to a secondary or tertiary consideration? Or, do they commit themselves to a nationalistic, separatist course which accents the peculiarities, strengths, and needs of their race and thus place lesser emphasis upon their American identity?