Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2009. / Additional advisors: Daniel Marullo, Sylvie Mrug, Marsha Sturdevant, Lynda Wilson. Description based on contents viewed June 5, 2009; title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 48-52).

Thesis (M. S.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Dr. Felecia F. Jordan-Jackson, Florida State University, College of Communication, Dept. of Communication. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 15, 2005). Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 83 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of West Florida, 2006. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 144 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

Equality in educational access has long been an area of concern for U.S. educators, policy makers, and advocates. Congress issued a mandate in 1969 to identify the needs of gifted students and to ensure that those needs were being met. However, the needs of gifted minority students were not specifically addressed. Little is known about how African American mothers are affected by the demands of raising and advocating for their gifted child. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative inquiry was to explore the lived experiences of African American mothers raising gifted children. The theory of womanism was used to explore the experiential anecdotes offered by the participants and to guide in analysis of developing themes. In addition, critical race theory was used to further examine the narratives offered by the participant mothers. Nine African American mothers whose children were identified as academically and intellectually gifted participated in interviews; analysis of data included use of the hermeneutic circle and resulted in the identification of 4 essential themes and 8 subthemes. Subthemes, that seemed particularly meaningful to participants, included othermothering, exasperation, resilience, and the Black male experience. Findings highlight the mothers'€™ resilience when dealing with instances of microaggressions and microinsults. Additionally, findings elucidated their desire to see every child succeed through othermothering behaviors. Implications for positive social change include contributing to the body of knowledge regarding the needs and challenges affecting African American mothers raising gifted children.

The construct of educational accountability formally originated in 2001 as a means to improve education standards by holding teachers accountable for student academic progress; however, the definition of educational accountability for parents continues to be illusive. The purpose of this generic, qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of educational accountability among single, African American mothers of high school-aged children. The research question asked about how the beliefs of educational accountability among single African American mothers related to any involvement in their children's education. Azjen's theory of planned behavior, which outlines the relation of intention to action, was the framework used to analyze the attitudes and perceived behavior control of the participants regarding parental involvement. Data collected from one-on-one interviews with 5 single African American mothers were transcribed and analyzed using manual open coding and thematic analysis. The results of the study indicated that the mothers' intentions to be more involved in their children's education played a significant role in the outcome of their children's academic success, whether or not they were actively present in the school. Parental involvement may be explained by the overall socialization of children toward these intentions. It is recommended that educational institutions explore alternate options of parental involvement tailored to meet the needs of parents to be involved. This study contributes to social change by informing educators and African American families to collaborate to instill positive involvement in children's' educational planning.

In light of the phenomenon of mass incarceration in the United States, black women have become the fastest growing incarcerated population in the U.S. Given the fact that more than 75% of incarcerated woman are the primary caregiver for at least one child under the age of 18 the growing incarceration of black women results in the separation of many black mothers from their children. This assault on black motherhood is part of a historically persistent practice of subjugation, control, and maintenance over black women’s reproduction and bodies starting from slavery. This report will not only map this repressive trajectory into the present, but it will also focus on examining black motherhood through the lens of mass incarceration. Furthermore, this report will not only attempt to situate the enduring practice of black women’s subjugation within larger discourses around racism, sexism, oppression, state control, domination, and power but also within an understanding of manifestations of embodied blackness. / text

No description available.

Though the portrayal of African American mothers in cinema has been diverse, it has too often misrepresented the lived experiences of mothers and has contributed to negative stereotypes about African American motherhood. Existing analyses have not provided an Afrocentric examination of these specific depictions and their broader societal impact. This dissertation aims to address this gap by investigating the representation of African American mothers in film. Grounded in Afrocentric research, scholarship, and theories, the project seeks to develop a framework centered on African Matriarchy and the experiences of African American mothers. This paper introduces the Taylor Test, a comprehensive rubric informed by the Afrocentric paradigm, film theories, and feminist and womanist theories. Through the application of the Taylor Test, a content analysis was conducted on select films by renowned African American filmmaker Spike Lee, including Crooklyn (1994), She Hate Me (2004), and Chi-Raq (2015). The findings of this research contribute to the development of an Afrocentric film analysis framework, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Taylor Test. Additionally, it offers insights into fostering a "liberated maternal" identity by leveraging media, particularly film, to reshape narratives surrounding African American motherhood. / Africology and African American Studies

The health benefits of breastfeeding exceed well beyond the first few years of an infant's life. Breast milk is often referred to as liquid gold because of its extensive protective properties that promote child growth and development. Unfortunately, African American women have the lowest breastfeeding rates compared to any other racial group. Given that African American children are disproportionately affected by the current obesity epidemic in the United States, there may be a link between a mother's preference to breastfeed her infant and her influence over her child's eating behaviors and physical activity levels. Guided by social cognitive theory, the purpose of this quantitative longitudinal study was to explore the association between exclusive breastfeeding and maternal control over childhood nutrition and physical activity among African American women and children enrolled in the Women Infants and Children Nutritional Supplementation Program (WIC). Secondary data were used from the Infant Feeding Practices II Survey and its Year 6 Follow Up. Crosstabulations were performed to assess the relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and maternal control over child health behaviors after 6 years. The null hypotheses were not rejected, as there was no relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and maternal control over physical activity or child eating behaviors. Findings revealed moderate to high levels of maternal control among WIC participants who breastfed for 3 months. This study may lead to positive social change by increasing the number of children who benefit from breast milk and improving childhood nutrition and physical activity, which will ultimately reduce child obesity disparities and promote maternal and child health altogether.