Merely Reading

PMLA ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 130 (3) ◽  
pp. 697-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinohi Nishikawa
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Reading Proficiency ◽  
National Assessment ◽  
Twelfth Graders ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
The Past ◽  
High School Reading ◽  
The One

Recent statistics on african american readers outline distinct trends that are difficult to reconcile with each other. On the one hand, standardized tests of high school reading proficiency show that African Americans are falling further behind students in every other racial and ethnic group. The National Assessment of Educational Progress “report card” on reading claims that “Black twelfth-graders scored lower in 2013 than in 1992,” when the assessment began, while “the White-Black score gap widened” over that period (“Top Stories”). On the other hand, the Pew Research Center, in a survey published in 2014, reveals that a notably high percentage of African American adults are book readers. Pew's statistics show that when it comes to having read at least one book in the past year, there are more black readers than white or Hispanic readers (81% versus 76% and 67%, respectively) and that African Americans have read more e-books, audiobooks, and books in print than any other group (“E-Reading”).

African American Catholics in the South and Desegregation, 1945–1970

2018 ◽  
pp. 169-200
Author(s):  
Mark Newman
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Educational Quality ◽  
Black Schools ◽  
Black Catholics ◽  
Community Institutions ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The One ◽  
The Church

Recollections from former students often present a positive appreciation of black Catholic schools primarily for their educational quality but also, in many cases, for their emphasis on self-worth and also, occasionally, on black culture and heritage. African American Catholics valued black schools and churches as religious and community institutions. Prelates generally sought to achieve desegregation by closing or downgrading black Catholic institutions. African American Catholics differed in their response. While some black Catholics reluctantly accepted such action as a necessary price for desegregation, others opposed these measures, upset by the one-sided nature of Catholic desegregation and inspired by the rise of black con consciousness in the second half of the 1960s. Some disillusioned African Americans, especially younger Catholics, left the church.

scholarly journals An Examination of Demographic and Psychosocial Factors, Barriers to Healthy Eating, and Diet Quality Among African American Adults

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Richards Adams ◽  
Wilson Figueroa ◽  
Irene Hatsu ◽  
James Odei ◽  
Mercedes Sotos-Prieto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Psychosocial Factors ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Healthy Eating Index ◽  
Dietary Guidelines ◽  
African American Adults

A healthy diet is associated with lower risk of chronic disease. African Americans generally have poor diet quality and experience a higher burden of many chronic diseases. We examined the associations of demographic and psychosocial factors and barriers to diet quality among African American adults. This cross-sectional study included 100 African American adults in a southeastern metropolitan area. Psychosocial factors (social support, self-efficacy), and barriers to healthy eating were assessed with validated measures. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010). Nested linear regressions were used to examine the association between the variables of interest and HEI scores. Participants reported having social support (M (mean) = 2.0, SD (standard deviation) = 0.6, range 0–3), high levels of self-efficacy (M = 3.1, SD = 0.7, range 1–4), and low barriers (M = 1.4, SD = 0.6, range 0–4) to engage in healthy eating but total mean HEI scores needed improvement (M = 54.8, SD = 10.9, range 27.1–70.0). Participants consumed significantly higher empty calories and lower whole fruits, dairy, and total protein foods than the national average. Barriers to healthy eating (b = −12.13, p = 0.01) and the interaction between age and barriers (b = 0.25, p = 0.02) were most strongly associated with lower HEI scores. Younger African Americans with the highest barriers to healthy eating had the lowest HEI scores. Culturally appropriate interventions targeting empty calories, barriers to healthy eating, and knowledge of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are needed for African Americans.

scholarly journals How 'Afro-Americanophilia' became Polyphilia: Joachim-Ernst Berendt’s Journey from Jazz to “Weltmusik”

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Wright Hurley
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
National Socialism ◽  
World Music ◽  
West Germany ◽  
National Socialist ◽  
African American Culture ◽  
The Past ◽  
Stuart Hall ◽  
1960S And 1970S

This article contributes to our understanding of the continuities and disconnects in the way that ‘race,’ and in particular African-American culture, were conceived of in the long postwar era in West Germany. It does so by examining some salient racial aspects in the writings and production activities of West-German ‘jazz pope,’ Joachim-Ernst Berendt, between the late 1940s and the mid-1980s. I demonstrate that the late 1960s brought about a sharpening in talk concerning the racial ‘ownership’ of jazz, and that in these circumstances, Berendt proceeded beyond his earlier, liberal elaborations about jazz, race, and African-Americans to advance an inclusive, ecumenical model of ‘Weltmusik’ (world music). Germany’s National Socialist history figured in important ways in his conception of both jazz and then Weltmusik. Whilst he initially saw jazz as an antidote to National Socialism, by the late 1960s and 1970s, he regarded certain traits of jazz discourse to be, themselves, proto-fascist.  Far from being a boon, Afro-Americanophilia—or at least one strain of it—now became something from which to distance oneself. What was important for Berendt, as for others of his generation, was distance from the past, as much as seeking out racial Others in Germany, engaging with them on their own terms, and yielding to a new racial ‘relationships of representation’ (Stuart Hall). 

Lessons from the Past: Developing Allegiances for the Future

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Linda S. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
African American ◽  
Social Work ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Progressive Era ◽  
Shared Resources ◽  
Settlement House ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Future ◽  
African American Leaders

This article analyzes linkages among the 60 Settlement House workers and other white and African-American leaders of the Progressive Era who signed “The Call,” a media statement calling for aid for African Americans in 1908 that eventually led to development of the NAACP. The analysis demonstrates the value of linkage and shared resources for success of social movements during the Progressive Era. This article applies the discussion to issues facing social work today.

Probing the Paradoxical Pattern of Cigarette Smoking among African-Americans: Low Teenage Consumption and High Adult Use

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Feigelman ◽  
Julia Lee
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Low Prevalence

Based on secondary analysis of the 1990 California Tobacco Survey, of 24,296 adult and 7,767 adolescent respondents, this study investigates the enigmatic results established by past research, of comparatively low prevalence rates of smoking among African-American adolescents and high use patterns for African-American adults. Findings support the crossover hypothesis claiming that more young adult White smokers successfully relinquish cigarette use than same aged African-Americans. When Whites and Blacks were grouped according to gender and age, findings showed African-American males between ages eighteen to twenty-four and females between ages twenty-five and forty-four were less likely to be among the ranks of former smokers than their same aged and gender White counterparts. The findings suggest that targeting these groups for more antismoking information and for opportunities to participate in smoking cessation programs may be helpful to reduce the higher smoking rates now found among African-American adults.

scholarly journals Housing Insecurity and the Emotional and Physical Health of African Americans

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 335-336
Author(s):  
Aarti Bhat ◽  
August Jenkins ◽  
David Almeida
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Chronic Health Conditions ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Chronic Health ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Housing insecurity—or limited and/or unreliable access to quality housing— is a potent on-going stressor that can adversely impact individual well-being. This study extends previous research by investigating the impact of housing insecurity on both the emotional and physical health of aging African American adults using the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Refresher oversample of African Americans collected from 2012-2013 (N = 508; M age = 43.02; 57% women). Participants reported on their negative affect, number of chronic health conditions experienced in the last year, and experiences of housing insecurity since the 2008 recession (e.g., homelessness, threatened with foreclosure or eviction, lost home). Negative affect and chronic conditions, respectively, were regressed on housing insecurity, and the potential moderating effect of age was tested. Results showed that housing insecurity was associated with more negative affect (B = 0.05, SE = 0.03, p = .002) and chronic health conditions (B = 0.26, SE = 0.03, p < .001). Additionally, the association between housing insecurity and negative affect was moderated by age (B = -0.11, SE = 0.00, p = .019), such that the effect of housing insecurity on negative affect was stronger for younger adults than for older adults. These results suggest that experiences of insecure housing leave African American adults vulnerable to compromised emotional and physical health, however, the negative effects of housing insecurity may attenuate with age.

Changing the narrative on African American boys: A systemic approach to school success

2020 ◽  
pp. 136548022096286
Author(s):  
JaDora Sailes Moore ◽  
Chavez Phelps
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Culturally Responsive ◽  
School Success ◽  
Reading Proficiency ◽  
Culturally Competent ◽  
African American Boys ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
The Past ◽  
Reading And Math ◽  
Proficiency Scores

Despite progress over the past decade in math and reading, proficiency scores of African American boys continue to trail behind those of White, Latino, and Asian male counterparts. African American boys’ reading and math disparities have been attributed to the negative portrayal and the pervasive deficit-oriented discourse about these young men. Using salient characteristics of organizational culture as a framework, this paper offers strategies for creating a culturally responsive environment that supports and promotes high academic performance among African American boys. Attention is given to policy, practice, personnel, programs, and process in schools and their role in culturally competent approaches for improving schools and individual academic achievement.

Abstract MP58: Racial Residential Segregation is Associated With Worse Cardiovascular Health in African American Adults: The Jackson Heart Study

Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 137 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharrelle Barber ◽  
Kiarri Kershaw ◽  
Xu Wang ◽  
Mario Sims ◽  
Julianne Nelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Residential Segregation ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Jackson Heart Study ◽  
Racial Residential Segregation ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
Heart Study ◽  
Neighborhood Environments ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Racial residential segregation results in increased exposure to adverse neighborhood environments for African Americans; however, the impact of segregation on ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) has not been examined in large, socioeconomically diverse African American samples. Using a novel spatial measure of neighborhood-level racial residential segregation, we examined the association between segregation and ideal CVH in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS). Hypothesis: Racial residential segregation will be associated with worse cardiovascular health among African American adults. Methods: The sample included 4,354 men and women ages 21-93 from the baseline exam of the JHS (2000-2004). Racial residential segregation was assessed at the census-tract level. Data on racial composition (% African American) from the 2000 US Census was used to calculate the local G i * statistic- a spatially-weighted z-score that represents how much a neighborhood’s racial/ethnic composition deviates from the larger metropolitan area. Ideal CVH was assessed using the AHA Life’s Simple Seven (LS7) index which includes 3 behavioral (nutrition, physical activity, and smoking) and 4 biological (systolic BP, glucose, BMI, and cholesterol) metrics of CVH. Multivariable regression models were used to test associations between segregation and the LS7 index continuously (range: 0-14) and categorically (Inadequate: 0-4; Average: 5-9; and Optimal: 10-14). Covariates included age, sex, income, education, and insurance status. Results: The average LS7 summary score was 7.03 (±2.1) and was lowest in the most racially segregated neighborhood environments (High Segregation: 6.88 ±2.1 vs. Low Segregation: 7.55 ±2.1). The prevalence of inadequate CVH was higher in racially segregated neighborhoods (12.3%) compared to neighborhoods that were the least segregated (6.9%). After adjusting for key socio-demographic characteristics, racial residential segregation was inversely associated with ideal CVH (B=-0.041 ±0.02, p=0.0146). Moreover, a 1-SD unit increase in segregation was associated with a 6% increased odds of having inadequate CVH (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.00-1.12, p=0.0461). Conclusion: In conclusion, African Americans in racially segregated neighborhoods are less likely to achieve ideal CVH even after accounting for individual-level factors. Policies aimed at restricting housing segregation/discrimination and/or structural interventions designed to improve neighborhood environments may be viable strategies to improving CVH in this at-risk population.

scholarly journals Polypharmacy in African American Adults: A National Epidemiological Study

Pharmacy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
Hamid Helmi ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Multiple Chronic Conditions ◽  
Poverty Index ◽  
African American Adults ◽  
Medical Disease ◽  
Nationally Representative

Background: Despite the association between polypharmacy and undesired health outcomes being well established, very little is known about epidemiology of polypharmacy in the African American community. We are not aware of any nationally representative studies that have described the socioeconomic, behavioral, and health determinants of polypharmacy among African Americans. Aims: We aimed to investigate the socioeconomic and health correlates of polypharmacy in a national sample of African American adults in the US. Methods: The National Survey of American Life (NSAL, 2003–2004) included 3,570 African American adults. Gender, age, socioeconomic status (SES; education attainment, poverty index, and marital status), access to the healthcare system (health insurance and having a usual source of care), and health (self-rated health [SRH], chronic medical disease, and psychiatric disorders) in addition to polypharmacy (5 + medications) as well as hyper-polypharmacy (10 + medications) were measured. Logistic regressions were applied for statistical analysis. Results: that About 9% and 1% of all African American adults had polypharmacy and hyper-polypharmacy, respectively. Overall, higher age, higher SES (education and poverty index), and worse health (poor SRH, more chronic medical disease, and psychiatric disorders) were associated with polypharmacy and hyper-polypharmacy. Individuals with insurance and those with a routine place for healthcare also had higher odds of polypharmacy and hyper-polypharmacy. Conclusions: Given the health risks associated with polypharmacy, there is a need for systemic evaluation of medication use in older African Americans with multiple chronic conditions. Such policies may prevent medication errors and harmful drug interactions, however, they require effective strategies that are tailored to African Americans.

scholarly journals The Nickel: A History of African-Descended People in Houston’s Fifth Ward

Genealogy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Denise Frazier
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Research Review ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Port City ◽  
East Texas ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
Over Time

This paper will chronicle the unique stories that have come to exemplify the larger experience of Fifth Ward as a historically African American district in a rapidly changing city, Houston. Fifth Ward is a district submerged in the Southern memory of a sprawling port city. Its 19th century inception comprised of residents from Eastern Europe, Russia, and other religious groups who were fleeing persecution. Another way to describe Fifth Ward is much closer to the Fifth Ward that I knew as a child—an African American Fifth Ward and, more personally, my grandparents’ neighborhood. The growing prosperity of an early 20th century oil-booming Houston had soon turned the neighborhood into an economic haven, attracting African Americans from rural Louisiana and east Texas. Within the past two decades, Latino communities have populated the area, transforming the previously majority African American ward. Through a qualitative familial research review of historic documents, this paper contains a cultural and economic analysis that will illustrate the unique legacies and challenges of its past and present residents. I will center my personal genealogical roots to connect with larger patterns of change over time for African Americans in this distinct cultural ward.

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