A Conceptual Framework for Utilizing Black History Knowledge as a Path to Psychological Liberation for Black Youth

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 479-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Collette Chapman-Hilliard ◽  
Valerie Adams-Bass
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Racial Identity ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Racial Socialization ◽  
Black People ◽  
Black Youth ◽  
Black History ◽  
Racial Injustice ◽  
Psychological Strength ◽  
Interactional Processes

Several scholars suggest that Black history knowledge (BHK) is a significant psychological strength that facilitates mental health for Black people, and Black youth in particular, as they face racial injustice and adversity. Yet no framework has been presented in the psychological literature to advance scholarship regarding the significance of BHK. While other constructs (e.g., racial identity and racial socialization) importantly highlight the significance of history, they are limited in accounting for the multifaceted nature of BHK. The purpose of this article is to present a conceptual framework that demonstrates the utility of BHK in facilitating mental health and psychological liberation among Black youth. Toward this goal, this article highlights theory and research related to definitions of BHK, liberation tasks associated with BHK, and interactional processes significant to coping and mental health among Black youth, particularly as they navigate racial encounters.

scholarly journals My Life Matters

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Black People ◽  
White Supremacy ◽  
Black Youth ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Black Communities ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
The Public ◽  
Racial Injustice ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The Cost

White supremacy presents Black communities with numerous challenges. We are constantly being injured by the anti-black racism that is deeply entrenched in the policies and practices of dominant institutions. These establishments, including, if not especially, the criminal justice system, purport to be responsible for ensuring the well-being and welfare of all, but only ever protect the rich and white. The recent re-mobilization of the Black Lives Matter movement worldwide has reminded the public of the urgency of tackling anti-black racism, but much work still needs to be done if we want future generations of Black people to live freely. Like Black adults, Black youth are not immune from racist encounters. In such a time of racial crisis, the experiences of Black youth need to be centralized in a movement that opposes racial injustice and white supremacy. Accordingly, this poem adopts the lens of a Black youth to speak to the cost of growing up Black immersed in the dominant anti-black culture of our society, underscoring the troubling realities of what it means to be a Black youth in today’s world. 

scholarly journals Does School Racial Composition Explain Why High Income Black Youth Perceive More Discrimination? A Gender Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
African American ◽  
African American Males ◽  
Black Youth ◽  
Perceived Discrimination ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Racial Composition ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Ethnicity And Gender

Recent research has documented poor mental health among high socioeconomic status (SES) Blacks, particularly African American males. The literature has also shown a positive link between SES and perceived discrimination, suggesting that perceived discrimination may explain why high SES Black males report poor mental health. To better understand the role of contextual factors in explaining this pattern, we aimed to test whether school racial composition explains why high income Black youth perceive more discrimination. We explored these associations by ethnicity and gender. Using data from the National Survey of American Life-Adolescent supplement (NSAL-A), the current study included 810 African American and 360 Caribbean Black youth, with a mean age of 15. Ethnicity, age, gender, income-to-needs ratio (SES), skin color, school racial composition, and perceived (daily) discrimination were measured. Using Stata 15.0 (Stata Corp., College Station, TX, USA), we fitted seven structural equation models (SEMs) for data analysis in the pooled sample based on the intersection of ethnicity and gender. Considerable gender by ethnicity variations were found in the associations between SES, school racial composition, and perceived discrimination. For African American males but not African American females or Caribbean Black males or females, school racial composition fully mediated the effect of SES on perceived discrimination. The role of inter-racial contact as a mechanism for high discrimination and poor mental health of Black American adolescents may depend on their intersection of ethnicity and gender. School racial composition may be a mechanism for increased perceived discrimination among high SES African American males.

They #Woke: How Black Students in an After-School Community-Based Program Manifest Critical Consciousness

2021 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
V. Thandi Sulé ◽  
Michelle Nelson ◽  
Tiffany Williams
Keyword(s):  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Black Students ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Critical Consciousness ◽  
Black People ◽  
Black Youth ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
After School ◽  
Community Based

Background/Context Though Black Americans have long suffered under racial tyranny, they have made valiant efforts to subvert policies and practices that encroach on their humanity. Nevertheless, systemic racism has been virtually unyielding—creating both racial hierarchies and disparities in access to resources and wellness. Programs designed to address the condition of Black people, particularly Black youth, often employ deficit or dysfunctional logic, thereby ignoring the sociohistorical context in which Black youth navigate. Furthermore, not enough attention is given to the ways that culturally centered approaches ignite critical consciousness among Black youth in ways that are aligned with the tradition of the Black American abolitionist mindset. Purpose We build on the discourse on community-based youth programs and critical consciousness development by using frameworks that elevate race and culture in analyzing how Black youth make sense of their racialized experiences. Additionally, our explication challenges the overriding deficit focus of Black youth experiences within and outside school contexts by providing a nuanced view of Black youth agency. Research Design With critical race theory as the epistemic foundation, this study sought to foreground counternarratives among youth participants of a culturally centered, community-based program. Thus, we used semistructured interviews as our primary data source. Using a three-stage analytical process, we sought to understand if and how critical consciousness manifests within this youth community. Conclusions/Recommendations The study demonstrates the value of foregrounding African American culture and history to fortify the values of collectivism, self-determination, purpose, responsibility, empowerment, creativity, and faith among Black youth. The authors propose that educators collaborate with community-based Black culture and youth development experts to support dialogical, student-centered spaces that impart culturally centered knowledge about Black Americans. Furthermore, the authors advocate for professional development in asset-based pedagogies as a means to enhance belongingness among Black students.

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