Post-racial unrest, #Blackintheivory and the US election: is multiculturalism still necessary?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Multicultural discourse, when focusing on systemic racism/discrimination, has recently come under scrutiny. Despite the long history of multiculturalism in counselling and other helping fields, critics espouse multiculturalism does not work and increases racial problems. This criticism persists despite recent events such as the racial unrest in Summer 2020 (due to the killing of numerous unarmed Black people), #Blackintheivory movement and the racially-charged US presidential election. Opponents state these problems exacerbate partially due to an unbalanced focus on race. Proponents believe not enough emphasis on multiculturalism is a contributing factor. This conceptually-driven, dialectical article highlights evidence for and against multiculturalism by providing a critical overview of existing theoretical and empirical information for both. I conclude with the hope of an agreed-upon truth established through a systematic display of logical reasoning, utilising biology as a backdrop. Implications for the counselling field conclude the article.