<p> This qualitative study focused on exploring the experiences and decision making process of thirteen Latina and/or African American graduate women in master's programs at a large, public university in California. The purpose was to gain a better understanding of the considerations that graduate women of color have in terms of continuing on to doctoral programs. The effects of mentorship were also explored within the lived experience of the participants. Findings that emerged as important through the stories shared included the importance of family, the significance of going beyond a bachelor's degree, challenges faced in terms of gender and race, as well as the ways which graduate women of color have thrived within higher education institutions. Collecting these stories provided insight into some of the challenges, as well as the strengths that this population possesses. Continuing to gain understanding of graduate women of color allows faculty, staff, and student affairs professionals' better support graduate women of color at their institutions.</p>

<p> This work is a case study focused on the practices of a comprehensive college access program that serves students in south Los Angeles that has maintained a high school graduation rate of 100% and a college matriculation rate of 98% since 1997. This study sought to utilize the voice and experience of students of color to discern the factors that are most effective in helping urban students of color and in turn, inform the future work of the college access community. The study was driven by the following research questions: a) which practices of a south Los Angeles college access program most impact a student's ability to matriculate to college? and b) How can the epistemology of urban students inform the work of college access programs? Through observations, interviews, journal exercises and document review, this study ranked the practices in order of importance according to the participants, and identified that structure and accountability are essential to the success of this college access program. In addition, the study revealed that the students of this program succeed academically because the program, provides students with structure, access and guidance; because it immerses its students in a college-going culture; because it offers access to academic and cultural resources; because it sets high academic expectations; because it engages the family of origin and creates a family within the program; and because it enhances the self-concept of its students: college access programs see students as scholars. </p><p> Using funds of knowledge as a framework, this study also introduced the original term, "masked epistemologies" which refers to the shared experiences of college access students once they enter college. The concept of masked epistemologies refers to the experience of students who enter college via a college access program, who go on to feel like her ways of knowing, shaped by the unique experience of being a high achieving student participant of a college access program from an urban setting, are disregarded in the new, unknown terrain of college, and must be masked or concealed, only to be revealed in environments considered safe. The students' epistemologies go from being highly praised and admired, to being ignored to the point of invisibility. This study found that students of this college access program struggle with adapting to the social realm of college because they have not been exposed to class differences throughout their tenure in the program.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to design a program, identify a funding source, and write a grant to fund a prevention and intervention program for youth and parents in impoverished neighborhoods who are facing educational losses and barriers due to their socioeconomic class. An extensive literature review increased the writer's knowledge about the relationship between poverty and education. Information about evidence-based prevention programs was gathered and used by the grant writer to design a best practices program for impoverished neighborhoods in Los Angeles County, particularly the South Central area. A search for potential funding sources via Internet, library, and grant funding search engines resulted in the selection of the Weingart Foundation as the best funding source for this project.</p><p> The funds will be used to open "Pearl of Hope" in the South Central area of Los Angeles. The objectives of the program are to: (a) increase student's academic performance; (b) facilitate home environments that are conducive to their child's education; and (c) educate teachers of effective ways of working with children that come from poor backgrounds.</p>

<p>Holt Cemetery is a historic potter's field in New Orleans that has been in active use for several centuries. One of the few below-ground cemeteries in New Orleans, it is one of the most culturally fascinating burial places in the city. In spite of being frequently visited by families (evidenced by the unique votive material left on grave plots) and the final resting place of several historic figures, Holt is threatened by a lack of conservation so extreme that the ground surface is littered with human remains and the cemetery is left unprotected against grave robbing. Many locals have expressed concern that occult rituals take place within Holt, promoting the theft of human bones, while others have expressed concern that the skeletal material is stolen to be sold. Attempts to map and document the cemetery were originally undertaken by archaeologists working in the area who intended to create a searchable database with an interactive GIS map. Additionally, the nonprofit group Save Our Cemeteries, which works to restore New Orleans' cemeteries and educate the public about their importance, has taken part in conservation work. As of today all the projects and preservation efforts involving the cemetery have ceased. This thesis documents and analyzes the skeletal material within the cemetery alongside the votive material and attempts to explain why Holt is allowed to exist in its current state of disrepair while still remaining a place of vivid expressive culture. </p>

<p> The emotions of African-American mothers of sons are an understudied area in social work research. Given the disproportionate representation of Black male youth on social service caseloads, a more in-depth understanding of their mothers' experiences while raising them is very important. Using group storytelling formats, this qualitative study examines the emotional content of a small cohort of African-American mothers in New York City and Westchester County, New York, with sons ranging in age from infancy through 30. </p><p> Viewed through the theoretical frames of Africana womanism and nonfinite loss, the study finds that African-American mothers of sons are emotionally fatigued. They fear for their sons' safety in the presence of police. They worry about a variety of factors that affect their sons' well-being. The mothers feel guilty about choices they have made in life, particularly regarding husbands. They often feel abandoned, and long for stronger connections with other African-American mothers of sons. Throughout everything, they love their sons and are very proud of them. </p><p> Practice implications include reframing challenging emotional expressions and behaviors as indicators of emotional fatigue; forming alliances with African-American mothers of sons to address oppressive practices in law enforcement and schools; and co-creating culturally grounded support groups with African-American mothers of sons.</p>

<p> As African American (AA) breast cancer survivors live longer with the disease, much attention should be directed to quality of life and factors influencing it. An understanding of survivors' belief that God controls their health and their social support needs is necessary as an effort to develop health care services and programs that are culturally sensitive. This study was the first to explore the association between an individual's belief that God controls their health, social support and quality of life among AA breast cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between social support, God Locus of Health Control (GLHC) and quality of life (QoL) among the survivors residing in Illinois. This study's alternative hypotheses predicted after controlling for age, location of residence, marital status, and time since diagnosis, social support and GLHC, combined and individually, would positively correlate to QoL for AA breast cancer survivors. </p><p> The study used a descriptive, correlational and quantitative design by testing the variables using hierarchical multiple regression and Pearson correlation. A convenience sample of 92 AA women was recruited from a community hospital, a Federally Qualified Health Centers, a beauty shop, two support groups, a member association that advocates for health care disparities, and local newspapers. Quantitative measures included Social Support Questionnaire (Northouse, 1988), GLHC scale (Wallston et al., 1999), Quality of Life Index - Cancer Version III (QLI - CV III) (Ferrans, 1990), and Demographic Characteristics form created by researcher. </p><p> Results concluded QoL was not affected by social support and GLHC, combined, and GLHC, individually. However, social support was a predictor of QoL. Statistically significant relationships were found between social support, QoL and its domains: a) health and functioning subscale, b) social and economic subscale, c) psychological/spiritual subscale and d) family subscale. Statistically significant relationships were not found between GLHC and QoL and its domains. The mean score for social support and GLHC scales were low compared to prior study results. The QLI - CV III mean score was moderately high compared to other study results. </p><p> Additional findings concluded women residing in the suburb had statistically significant higher mean QoL than those living in the rural or urban areas of Illinois. Also, married women in this sample had a higher mean QoL than unmarried women. Although AA breast cancer survivors' QoL was not increased by their belief that God controlled their health and the mean social support score was low, the study results provided valuable information for future research and the development of social support programs that are culturally sensitive.</p>

<p> The study addressed the problem of unacceptably low graduation rates of African American high school students. The purpose of the study was to conduct a quantitative correlational explanatory investigation into possible associations between immigration stage and achievement status of African American high school students that puts them on target for graduation. Survey data collected from 273 seniors from five high schools in New York City measured the dependent variable achievement status in high school credits. The independent variable immigrant generational stage was appraised across three generations of African Americans (1st, 2nd and 3rd generations) and weighted in sub-variables of foreign culturally influenced parental style, ethnic capital, and perceived self-efficacy. Data collected were analyzed using analysis of variance, multiple regression and regression statistics. Results indicate generational immigrant stage and self-efficacy are associated with the academic status of the students. Foreign influenced parental style and ethnic capital are not associated with academic status of the demographic. A key finding is first generation students performed better than each subsequent generation of their peers. Implications are that fresh ethnic cultural memory and high self-efficacy beliefs result in better academic outcomes for African American students. The need for culturally ingenious leadership to facilitate ethnic cultural values and promote self-efficacy beliefs of African American students for more favorable academic outcomes is indicated by the results of the study. Certification in cultural competencies relative to the operating context is therefore a prerequisite for educational leaders working among this demographic.</p>

<p> It is often that during their academic pursuits, to become successful, low-income African-American women must learn to navigate an upstream current through higher education, where the established order in the academy is based on Western European values that often conflict with African-American values (Harper, Patton &amp; Wooden, 2009; Phinney, Ong and Madden, 2000). Because many lack preparation and tools for success in higher education, without immediate intervention, low-income college students tend to experience academic failure during their first semester at the university level (Acevedo and Herrera, 2002). </p><p> The present study analyzed eight interview transcripts of African American women, all of whom had been mentored through Hunt's Inclusive Community Building Ellison Model (The Ellison Model) (Hunt, 1994). The data described the participants' experiences in higher education and their perceptions of The Ellison Model and its role in assisting them to overcome the "glass ceiling" in higher education. Analysis of the transcripts involved: (a) <i>emergent</i> coding wherein a preliminary review of the data revealed themes, including (a) mentoring/support, (b) dialogue between mentor and mentee, (c) conflict resolution, (d) The Ellison Model values, and (e) living two lives. Further, categories were created to examine the data more closely. </p><p> Findings of the data showed a consensus among the perceptions of these women from low-income background of the existence of a glass ceiling as they pursued higher education. This glass ceiling was perceived variously: (a) an external glass ceiling, (b) a self-imposed glass ceiling, and (c) a lowered glass ceiling. Moreover, the study showed that the women perceived mentoring as an effective means for assisting low-income African American navigate between home and university space, "living two lives" (Hoyt, 2003). Finally, the study showed the profundity of The Ellison Mentoring Model, specifically, as a viable approach to helping low-income African American women overcome the glass ceiling as they pursue higher education. This study has implications for higher education institutions in their efforts to recruit, retain, and graduate more ethnic and gendered minority students, and confirms the benefit of a mentoring component as a major part of student service programs at higher education institutions.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of a selected group of 15 black males to identify the perceived internal and external aspects that have influenced their economic and academic success. A qualitative phenomenological study was chosen as the methodology that would be most applicable. The interview process allowed for an in-depth exploration of the perceived factors contributing to the successes in each participant&rsquo;s life. This qualitative study identified diverse categories and themes; the perceptions shared of the effect of numerous internal and external factors were identified and explored. The major themes included parental and familial influences; teachers and male role models of all kinds were perceived to have had a direct impact on the success of many of the participants. Internal factors were also perceived to have had a major influence on the respondents&rsquo; success; themes such as an internal drive, a sense of resilience, and fears of poverty substantially stimulated the behaviors of the interviewees. Recommendations for further study are provided and include more in depth interviews or case studies to explore further the influence of additional internal and external factors. In addition, a larger sample could be assessed with a quantitative study to determine which factors are the most common across a more significantly sized sample. Recommendations for programs and application of the data gathered were included; programs to enhance the teacher/parent relationship and providing more mentoring opportunities for the disadvantaged were among the suggested applications.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to assess the sex-role egalitarian attitudes and gender role socialization experiences of African American men and women. A sequential mixed-methods design was employed to research this phenomenon. The Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale-Short Form BB (SRES-BB) was utilized to assess sex-role egalitarian attitudes (King &amp; King, 1993). </p><p> A total of 183 participants, 86 males and 97 females, completed the SRES-BB. Results revealed statistically significant differences in male and female total scores on the SRES-BB. Participants were purposefully selected to engage in the follow-up interview process. There were a total of eight participants. Eight themes were identified that depicted the perceived gender role socialization experiences of the participants: instillation of religious/spiritual values, familial generational socialization, gender role flexibility, male gender role norms, female gender role norms, ethnic cultural differences in gender role socialization, the influence of educational accomplishment on gender role socialization, and the influence of society and social networking on gender role attitudes. </p><p> Overall the results depicted the African Americans in this sample as less egalitarian than asserted in much of the literature (Bryant &amp; Beckett, 1997; Davenport &amp; Yurich, 1991; Stanik &amp; Bryant, 2012). The interviews supported and expanded existing literature on themes relevant to understanding the gender role socialization experiences of some African Americans to include installation of religious values, diversity in roles assumed by African American women, and perceived ethnic cultural differences in the gender role socialization experience. </p><p> Results of this study provided several implications for counselor educators and practitioners: the relevance of broaching race and gender when working with African American clients, or students, awareness of the perception of privilege for middle and upper-class Whites highlighting the importance of exploring the intersectionality of status variables (e.g. race, gender, religion, etc.), and considering gender role socialization experiences when providing counseling and supervision to African Americans individually, as couples, and families.</p>