abstract: Media is a powerful tool used to reflect and affect change in society. Within this study, a brief historical context is provided of roles African Americans in film were traditionally cast in. By employing Critical Race Theory (CRT), cultural capital, and NewBlackMan frameworks, I analyzed how Black male film directors and producers depicted race, class, gender within the Black film boom of the early 2000s. I examined the depictions of educational outcomes of the characters within films utilized in this study. My results display progress that still needs to be made in breaking down traditional gender roles, how race needed to be more critically examined, and how educational outcomes of the characters were not realistic. I also provide suggestions for conducting media studies through the discipline of education in the future. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education 2010

<p> This research study examined the organizational identification process of lay church leaders. The organizational identification process is important to all organizations, as it increases an individual&rsquo;s connection to the organization and thus has the potential to increase attendance, commitment, group behaviors, and the enactment of organizational policies. Lay leaders are key to the success of churches, as the weight of leadership lies within these structured leadership positions of small, established ministries. </p><p> One research question guided this study: <i>What is the role of leadership development of lay leaders in enhancing their organizational identification? </i> The research site for this single descriptive case study was First Baptist Church of Highland Park, a large, African American Protestant church located near Washington, DC. Data were collected through interviews with lay leaders of three ministries of this church&mdash;deacons, ministers, and trustees&mdash;as well as observation and document analysis. Lay leaders were selected as the participants for this study since most roles and positions of leadership within the church involve this volunteer, lay leader base, and these individuals are trained for the ministry through an extensive leadership development process developed and provided by the church. </p><p> This study found that (1) the early life of lay leaders made a difference in how the leadership development program affected their organizational identification; (2) the associated ministry roles and responsibilities, as refined in the leadership development process, enhanced their process of organizational identification; (3) the self-esteem of the lay leaders developed through their leader training process and was an important factor in further enhancing their process of organizational identification; and (4) the church&rsquo;s identity and specific aspects of its mission and values were central in the organizational identification process.</p><p>

abstract: Illuminating Silent Voices: An African-American Contribution to the Percussion Literature in the Western Art Music Tradition will discuss how Raymond Ridley's original composition, FyrStar (2009), is comparable to other pre-existing percussion works in the literature. Selected compositions for comparison included Darius Milhaud's Concerto for Marimba, Vibraphone and Orchestra, Op. 278 (1949); David Friedman's and Dave Samuels's Carousel (1985); Raymond Helble's Duo Concertante for Vibraphone and Marimba, Op. 54 (2009); Tera de Marez Oyens's Octopus: for Bass Clarinet and one Percussionist (marimba/vibraphone) (1982). In the course of this document, the author will discuss the uniqueness of FyrStar's instrumentation of nine single reed instruments--E-flat clarinet, B-flat clarinet, alto clarinet, bass clarinet, B-flat contrabass clarinet, B-flat soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, and B-flat baritone saxophone, juxtaposing this unique instrumentation to the symbolic relationship between the ensemble, marimba, and vibraphone. / Dissertation/Thesis / FyrStar (2009) Live Recording (DMA Recital) / FyrStar (2009) Full Score / D.M.A. Music 2012

<p> The increased diversity of students at community colleges makes support and retention of Black women instructional faculty critical. Black women instructional faculty&nbsp;may&nbsp;feel like imposters, receiving messages of inadequacy, despite their achievements.&nbsp;If so, such feelings may impede their ability to serve students and to thrive more generally in their roles.&nbsp;Until now, the question of whether or how Black women faculty working in community colleges experience the imposter phenomenon had not been asked. </p><p> Through 23 in-depth, one-on-one interviews, this qualitative study explored and assessed the presence of and success strategies utilized to counter the imposter phenomenon or other challenges experienced by tenured and tenure-track Black women instructional faculty members employed at California community colleges. Findings revealed contentment and job satisfaction. While participants were familiar with and had experienced the imposter phenomenon, there was a general absence of the phenomenon in their current roles due to positive on-campus relationships with colleagues and students. Microaggressions from colleagues and students related to appearance were reported, but these challenges were mitigated through established mentors and allies and a strong sense of cultural and personal identity. Established expertise and participation in professional development were also strategies that helped participants to navigate, persist, and thrive in their work environments. </p><p> Recommendations for policy include increased state funding for community college faculty members to participate in off-campus professional development training. Practice recommendations include interpersonal skills training for new department chairs and best-practice discussions among continuing department chairs throughout the year. Recommendations for future research include replicating the study in other states and among adjunct faculty in California.</p><p>

<p>Poor academic performance and low academic aspirations can lead to involvement with the criminal justice system. Therefore, schools play an important role in mitigating risk factors as they create a supportive, accessible opportunity for intervention delivery. The population impacted most by academic zero-tolerance punishments are African-American students, whose current suspension rate is two to five times that of their White counterparts. This disproportionate representation also exists within the juvenile justice system, with African-American youths almost five times more likely to be detained than White youths. Therefore, finding effective school-based treatment interventions is essential to reducing disproportionate minority punishment and confinement. In order to address this need, a randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine the effectiveness of Rational Emotive Education (REE), a REBT school-based intervention, on the reduction of disruptive behavior amongst at-risk, male, African-American adolescents. Nineteen participants were assigned to either the treatment or the control condition. Data measuring disruptive behavior, anxiety, depression, anger, self-concept, and school engagement was collected for both groups pre-and post-intervention. Overall the results of the study revealed contradictory findings. Although participants assigned to the REE intervention saw a larger reduction in disruptive behavior over the course of treatment than the control group, on self-report measures they reported an increase in symptoms related to depression, anxiety, anger and a decrease in self-concept and school engagement. Treatment implications are discussed.

<p> Research has indicated that African American undergraduate students experience racial microaggressions within their university contexts, and these experiences are associated with negative outcomes such as symptoms of depression and anxiety (Cokely, Hall-Clark, &amp; Hicks, 2011; Nadal, 2011; Nadal, et al., 2014). Little is known about the experience of microaggressions and their effects on African American doctoral students, particularly those within the field of psychology. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between racial microaggressions, sense of belonging, coping strategies (problem solving, social support and avoidance), and psychological well-being among African American doctoral students in psychology. Results revealed that every participant had experienced at least one racial microaggression in their doctoral program within the last six months, with the most common types being related to environment and assumptions of inferiority. Contrary to hypotheses, results from a hierarchical multiple regression analyses suggested that racial microaggressions did not significantly predict psychological well-being in this sample. Findings also did not provide evidence for social support, problem solving, avoidance, or sense of belonging as moderators for the negative impact of microaggressions. Overall, the results of this study suggest that African American doctoral students in psychology experience racial microaggressions, but questions remain about the effects of these experiences on psychological well-being. Implications and future research directions are discussed.</p><p>

<p> Gun homicides are highly concentrated in African American communities and are widespread in urban neighborhoods. African American males are disproportionately victims and perpetrators of gun violence, have a higher propensity to use and carry weapons, and are more likely to die due to gun violence. Few studies, however, provide a detailed account of the history of gun carrying, the value of gun carrying, and the individual and situational factors that lead to or inhibit the use of guns among young African American males. </p><p> Based on semi-structured interviews of 11 African American males obtained via snowball sampling, this thesis explains the causes of African American male gun violence, and describes the patterns and decision-making processes around gun carrying and the use of guns (i.e. how gun were introduced, obtained, used or not used, loved, and despised) among African American males in Oakland, California. Based on the sample&rsquo;s insight, this thesis concludes that strengthening collective efficacy and community-police relationships, providing employment and educational opportunities and resources, implementing mentorship and restorative justice programs, and Crime Prevention Through Experimental Design (CPTED) strategies can reduce gun violence.</p><p>

abstract: ABSTRACT Colorism is the intra-racial system of inequality based on skin color, hair texture, and facial features. In the African American culture, colorism has deeply rooted origins that continue to affect the lives of African Americans today. This study examined how colorism effects perceptions of personal characteristics, personal attributes, work ability, and hiring decisions of African American women 18 and older. Participants for this study consisted of 188 African American women who self-identified as African American/Black and who were over 18 years of age living in the United States. All participants completed a demographic sheet and three instruments: Occupational Work Ethic Inventory (OWEI; Petty, 1995), Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ; Spence, Helmreich, & Stapp, 1974) and Personal Efficacy Beliefs Scale (PEBS; Riggs et al., 1994). They were randomly assigned to one of six vignettes describing a young African American/Black woman applying for a job. She was described as having one of three skin-tones (light, brown, or dark) and having kinky or straight hair. A multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) failed to reveal differences in personal characteristics, personal attributes, and work ability due to skin tone or to hair texture. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that hair texture predicted hiring decision, after controlling for relevant demographic variables. Participant education and vignette hair texture influenced hiring decisions, accounting for 8.2% of the variance. The woman in the vignette with straight hair was more likely to be recommended for hire and more educated participants were more likely to recommend hiring. These findings suggest that education may be an important factor in changing the influence of colorism in African American culture and that hair texture may be a factor of colorism that influences hiring of applicants. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Counseling 2015

<p>ABSTRACT Background In the US, the incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer (PCa) are higher among African American men compared to European American men. Obesity is an important risk factor of PCa. Obesity is known to alter the gene expression profiles in prostate tumors. This study evaluates the impact of obesity and the expression of obesity-related genes on the progression of PCa in African American men. Methods The primary outcome of interest is biochemical recurrence (BCR) of PCa. There were 48 African American prostate cancer patients in the study. The tissue samples included 42 normal tissues, 40 Prostate Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PIN) and 45 tumor tissues (127 tissue samples in total). We assembled 99 obesity-related genes and determined the levels of their expression in the three types of tissue samples using Nanostring Technologies. An ANOVA test was used to compare the means for gene expression among normal, PIN and tumor tissue samples. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) to determine the association between obesity and BCR as well as gene expression and BCR. Results were regarded as statistically significant if p-values were less than 0.05. A Kaplan Meier Curve was constructed to depict the survival time and time to event (BCR) among obese and non-obese African American prostate cancer patients. Patients were followed up from the date of first surgery to the date of biochemical recurrence or date of last follow-up. Statistical analysis was done with SAS 9.4 software. Results Forty-three obesity-related genes were statistically significantly associated with biochemical recurrence. There was no association between obesity and biochemical recurrence (BCR) in obese African American men compared to non-obese African American men (OR= 2.03, 95% CI = 0.22 - 18.77, p-value= 0.53). Twenty genes showed an upward trend in gene expression among normal, PIN and tumor tissue samples including ADIPOR1, AKRIC4, ALOX12, ALOX15, CRYBB2, EIF5A, ERG, GNPDA2, HNF1B, HSD3B1, KLK4, LEP, MC4R, MTCH2, PCSK1, PIK3CB, SLC2A2, STAT1, SULT1A1, YY1. The probability of survival (not having BCR) is lower in obese African American men compared to non-obese African American men as indicted in the Kaplan Meier curve. In other words, the probability of developing BCR is higher in obese African American men compared to non-obese African American men. Conclusion We did not find a significant association between obesity and biochemical recurrence. However, we elucidated some obesity-related genes that could explain PCa carcinogenesis. Further studies are needed to determine functional significance of these selected obesity-related genes and the role they play in encouraging PCa progression in African American men.

<p> Thousands of Black women in America are experiencing upward mobility, defined for the purpose of this study as moving into a higher socioeconomic status than one&rsquo;s parents, guardians, or whomever raised them. As research indicates, these women may experience the strain of upward mobility more acutely than men or those of other races, given their identities as both women and racial minorities. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore Black women&rsquo;s journeys of upward mobility, and to contribute to what we know about their experiences, specifically, any shifts in their perceptions of self resulting from upward mobility. I explored the ways that Black women conceptualize changes in their socioeconomic status alongside potential changes in their identity <i>following</i> a change in socioeconomic status. The sample included ten self-identified African-American women who self-identify as upwardly-mobile. The primary methods of data collection were in-depth interviews, focus groups, limited email exchanges during member-checks, and field notes. Evidence from this study suggests that a part of upwardly-mobile Black women&rsquo;s socialization in Black families and communities was recognizing that their identities had been <i>overdetermined</i>, or determined for them, by others in those communities. The women were expected to be hyper-performers, meeting and exceeding high expectations. Being a hyper-performer would position them for success in new spaces where a different value system prevailed. A critical part of maintaining their sense of self as they pivoted between these differing value systems was, in fact, recognizing that their identity had been <i>overdetermined</i> again, this time by people who did not share the communal, Black values under which they had been socialized. <i> Redetermining</i> their identity for themselves would mean reframing their expectations of themselves and others, and finding ways to attend to their mental, spiritual, and emotional needs in lieu of having ample culturally-sensitive models from which to draw inspiration.</p><p>