In this paper are examined the psychological and emotional development of black children. The argument is that developmental schemes built for one set of people are lacking as a model when used to analyze the development of a set of different people. Man is both "a situated" and "an accumulating" being. He develops in the context of situations made up of various encounters with people and things. These prior encounters structure subsequent encounters. As a situated-accumulating creature, each individual develops his own unique life style and personality. Freud and Erikson are somewhat limited in explicating the development of black children because their theories focus attention on the "situation" rather than the "accumulating" aspect of development. Stated more concretely, the meaning of being black has been the most important developmental crisis for black people--not the relationships with mothers, fathers, or siblings. (Author/SB)