ABSTRACT
At a recent psychoanalytic conference, the topic of racial and ethnic diversity was aired and debated. One psychologist participant referred to his practice in the manner quoted above. His words rang in my ears all the way home. The sense of ful lled responsibility and the rather tepid welcome candidly expressed a position even many liberal-minded members of the profession appear to maintain. Interest in exploring such attitudes and seeking open dialogue about them had motivated me to prepare that conference paper in the rst place. I felt some hesitation, not being a person of colour, never having spoken to the issue before, and with nothing particular on my curriculum vitae to back me up. There was and still remains, however, a sense of urgency. While the subject of race and ethnic diversity is politically sensitive and highly charged, the time is long overdue for psychoanalysts to confront the vague uneasiness we feel – perhaps embarrassment – whenever it is raised. Responses like the one above con rm that it behoves us to approach the subject with curiosity and humility, and approach it we must, even if we tend to feel more comfortable if it does not come up at all.
