<p> African American women are 18 times more likely to contract HIV than are European American women, yet they are less likely to be tested for HIV. Lack of HIV testing leads to late diagnosis and increased mortality from HIV-related illnesses. Based on the health belief model, this correlational study analyzed the extent to which HIV stigma mediated the relationship between perceived benefits or perceived severity of HIV and the uptake of HIV testing among African American women in New Jersey. A total of 93 African American women aged 18 and older who resided in New Jersey completed online questionnaires. Data were gathered via the Perceptions of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Help (PSOSH) scale, the Benefits of HIV Testing Scale, and the Severity of HIV Infection Scale. Although there was a relationship between stigma and perceived severity of HIV, this relationship did not translate into uptake of HIV testing. Perceived benefits of HIV testing did show an impact on uptake. Based on the findings of this study, research and intervention programs should concentrate on the potential benefits of HIV testing among African American women. Through dissemination of these findings, positive social change that may result through increased rates of HIV testing in this population and ultimately better health outcomes for patients who have HIV. Additionally, the findings on HIV benefits could be used as supporting data for policymakers to improve HIV/AIDS prevention programs aimed at African American women by emphasizing the benefits of testing.</p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine African American community college students&rsquo; availability to technological resources and how that availability affects their success. In this study, technological resources include access to the internet, software, hardware, technology training, technology support, and community resources. This study included six community college professors and six African American community college students enrolled in a Midwest community college. A major tenet of Critical Race Theory, storytelling, was used to give voice to students who lack sufficient access to technological resources referred to as the digitally denied. Data from this study can create an awareness of students that lack technological resources at community colleges, universities, and community libraries. This study could also be useful to community college leadership who set policies and procedures and determine curriculum requirements that call for technological resources. The findings suggested that access to technological resources is a key factor that impacted the success of African American students in the community college. </p>

<p> Centers for Disease Control (2011a) Surveillance report revealed African American women comprised 63% of new HIV cases among women; 65% of African American women were infected with HIV transmitted by heterosexual sex; yet represent 13% of the female population in the United States. An existing data set was examined from a sample of 761 African American women with a history of drug use at high risk to acquire or transmit HIV and/or STDs to determine 751 women&rsquo;s knowledge and attitudes about risky sexual behaviors, factors influencing a decision to HIV test, and the influence of sex trading on the decision to HIV test. Binary logistic regression predicted a small percentage of women&rsquo;s decision to HIV test was influenced by knowledge of risky sexual behaviors (Naegelkerke R2, = .100). There were significant difference in the number HIV tests for women who reported cheating on a steady sex partner (M = 4.25, SD =7.49) versus women who did not cheat (M = 3.28, SD = 4.67), t(747) = - 2.19, p = .03. Binary logistic regression predicted a minor percentage of women&rsquo;s decision to HIV test was influenced by women&rsquo;s attitudes about risky sexual behavior (Nagelkerke R2 = .043). Women who agreed with the statement, I have risky drug behaviors that need changing were predicted twice as likely to be HIV tested Exp [B] = 1.829, 95% CI [1.018, 3.288]. Binary logistic regression predicted an increased 15.3% variation in the decision to HIV test is influenced by women&rsquo;s knowledge to prevent HIV and attitudes about risky sexual behavior (Nagelkerke R2 = .153). Women who agreed with the knowledge item, asked their partner if they were HIV positive, were 1.3 times more likely, and women who agree with the knowledge statement, I have risky drug behaviors that need changing, increased to 1.9 times more likely to HIV test. There were significant differences in number of HIV tests for women who engaged in sex-trading versus women who do not engage in sex-trading. Tailored strategies that determine unique needs of African American women to reduce risky sex an increase HIV testing are recommended.</p>

<p> This quantitative study analyzed archival data to determine whether a significant difference existed in the reading comprehension scores and student success (enrollment in honors and or advanced placement classes and college after graduation) of at-risk African American male students who received Advancement via Individual Determination/African American Male Initiative (AVID/AAMI) learning modalities and those who did not. The sample consisted of 134 at-risk African American male students from a California school district. A descriptive comparative research design provided effectiveness in gathering and analyzing data to find the differences between the two groups. The results of an ANCOVA test and chi-square goodness-of-fit tests indicated no significant difference (<i>F</i> = .054, <i>P</i> = .817) between the mean gain reading comprehension scores of 11th grade at-risk African American male students who received AAMI/AVID learning methodologies and those who did not. However, a significant difference did exist (<i>P</i> = .000, chi-square = 24.605) between the two instructional approaches (AAMI/AVID learning methodologies and non-AAMI/AVID learning methodologies), which indicated a high association between AAMI/AVID learning methodologies and enrollment into more rigorous courses such as advanced placement and or honors classes: X²(1) = 7.410^a, <i>p</i> (.006) &le; .05. Although a final research question (Is there a difference in the number of students enrolled in college after graduation of at-risk African American male students who received CRP and those who did not during 2010-2013?) could not be answered due to lack of available data, teachers and or administrators of the AAMI/AVID program in the district recorded that 90% of the at-risk African American male students who received AAMI/AVID learning methodologies enrolled in college after graduation. Practical implications for this study suggested that professional development (PD) of AAMI/AVID learning methodologies is an essential factor in effective implementation of AAMI/AVID learning methodologies, and these methodologies can yield positive results for at-risk African American male students.</p>

<p> Chinese language is the only ideographic language remaining in the world (Osaka, 1976). It conveys affluent Chinese culture and has great influences on the East Asian countries (Miyake, 2013). In the economic globalization of the world, China&rsquo;s economy and international influence are expanding. For these reasons and many more the Chinese language is widely accepted as one of the major world languages. It makes sense then Chinese language classes are experiencing popularity and growth with United States undergraduates. Despite this growth, however, the enrollment of African American students is constantly low in college Chinese language classrooms (Li, Wen, &amp; Xie, 2014). This call to action argues that this low representation of African American students lies on a course promotion system that denies African American students a preliminary learning opportunity that systematically limits their representation in Chinese language classrooms from the beginning. </p><p> This call for action examines systematic avenues for creating early opportunities. First the study explores the utility of offering African American students an informational workshop introducing the features of the language and the potential benefits of learning it. Next the study examines the leverage that could be gained by providing direct feedback and assessing student interest to explore whether students are more inclined to enroll in Chinese language courses following the information workshop. Such a process could lead to suggested policy changes that might close the enrollment gap between the African American students and their peers. This call for action considers the reality that even a well-designed action plan may not always produce positive consequences. Therefore, an impact evaluation is explored along with suggested instruments and uses. Finally possible outcomes of an impact evaluation are described. </p><p> To ground this call for action, a set of foundational theories are employed that mainly include networked improvement communities, leadership and teamwork, and critical theories. The call for action strongly suggests the iterative cycle of Plan, Design, Study, and Act (PDSA) of the NIC improvement science (Bryk, Gomez, &amp; Grunow, 2011) in the change process beginning with the examination of a local four-year university Chinese Studies Program. </p>

<p> This qualitative phenomenological research study focused on women in senior and upper management positions and represents the personal and professional lived experiences of 10 Black women in leadership roles in banking industry in Northern California who overcame obstacles and barriers to advance in their careers. The researcher conducted face-to-face interviews then compiled the lived experiences of the study participants and identified themes to discover if there were cultural factors that prevented them from advancing in leadership in banking industry. Study findings determined four emergent themes as the perceived experiences of African American women in leadership roles in the banking industry. The themes were (a) bias, (b) unfair practices, (c) gender inequality, and (4) fair and ethical leadership. The study results might provide vital information to banking leaders on the abilities of minority women in leadership positions to encourage the leaders to promote minority women to higher management positions for which they are qualified and to provide abetter understanding of the pitfalls in career advancement Black women in the banking industry face.</p>

<p>Research on the military has historically focused on the potentially de-stratifying effects of service, including reductions of racial inequality and social mobility. Taking a life course approach, this prior research tends to claim that the military is a positive turning point in the lives of disadvantaged men. Scholars point to the educational benefits of the GI Bill, racial integration, and health care to claim that military service, especially during peacetime, is largely beneficial to service members. While it is certainly the case that the military has provided some historical benefits to marginalized groups, recent research has given us strong reasons to question how beneficial military service is to stigmatized groups. Significant racial and gender inequalities remain, and in some cases, are deepening. Drawing on 50 in-depth interviews with veterans this dissertation examines how the organizational habitus of the military, despite organizational proclamations of meritocracy, may contribute to inequality. Focusing on the unintended consequences of military polices surrounding mental health problems, discrimination, and family relations, I create a synthesis of organizational and critical race theories to show how military policies may compound problems for soldiers and veterans. Focusing on the contradictions between stated organizational policies and actual practice, I show how the organizational arrangements of the military normalize overt expressions of racial and gender based discrimination, creating a sometimes-hostile environment for women and minorities and leaving them little recourse for recrimination. When policies protecting the stigmatized undermine the power and prerogatives of commanders or conflict with the militaries mission, it is not the powerful that suffer. Further, I show how military policies promoting family, such as extra pay for married soldiers, are at odds with the multiple deployments and high mental health incidences of this generations wars. Although the military relies on women on the "home front," as a basis of support, the exigencies of service undermine relationship stability. </p><p>I argue that traditional findings on the de-stratifying effects of service are partially a product of an analytical frame that neglects internal organizational dynamics.</p> / Dissertation

<p> In 2012, 1% of the African American women who enrolled in an undergraduate engineering program four years prior graduated, amounting to 862 African American women graduating with engineering degrees. This qualitative study, anchored in interpretive phenomenological methodology, utilized undergraduate socialization with an overarching critical race theory lens to examine the manner in which African American women in engineering, such as the 862, make meaning of their experiences at predominately White institutions. </p><p> The findings of the study are important because they corroborated existing research findings and more importantly, the findings in this study emphasize the importance of faculty and institutional agent support, self-efficacy leading to motivation, academic achievement goals and the development of science identities. These factors were significant to the persistence of African American women in this study. Moreover, this study&rsquo;s findings suggest that these factors must work in concert to be most effective. The findings demonstrated that students need to develop relationships with faculty, administrators and peers. The administrators provide access to resources that assist with persistence and peers are needed for group work and academic support. The faculty relation is most important because the faculty members provide access to information, research opportunities, grades and research and industry contacts. The research also found that the women carried the responsibility of developing and nurturing the relation with the faculty. </p><p> Moreover, all of the African American women in the study acknowledge racism and sexism however, they responded to these deterrents differently. Some of the women were negatively affected while others chose to ignore the deterrents. However, with the presence of these obstacles, the study validated the notion that these African American women in engineering had a strong sense of self-efficacy which provided a foundation for the women to possess science identities: research scientist, altruistic or disruptive. With these identities, the African American women sought to engage their scientific knowledge further in graduate school, the workplace and altruistically to improve upon society. </p><p> These findings produce implications for policy and practice, suggesting that engineering colleges commit to transforming academic environments to reflect an atmosphere that is inclusive and supportive of racial and gender differences. This transformation should encompass pedagogy, curriculum, composition of faculty and student populations as well as the academic culture, allowing for a more welcoming and supportive atmosphere, where African American women can persist without concern for proving themselves because of their race or gender.</p>

<p> Minority and Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) businesspersons are carving out for themselves leadership roles in the world of business as entrepreneurs and CEO&rsquo;s. As they are experiencing much success, and are sought after to help provide unique and necessary perspectives regarding best practices in the areas of inclusion, diversity and strategic planning; they are yet underrepresented in mainstream media and in the business community. This qualitative study explores the enabling and inhibiting factors that select African American Gay Male Entrepreneurs (AAGME) experience throughout their career and ascent into entrepreneurship. The qualitative research includes interviews from ten African American Gay Males, who live in the metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia area and have owned/operated their organizations for three or more years. The accounts obtained of the AAGME are the primary data reviewed and reported. </p><p> Qualitative research methods are used to analyze the data, and the findings are presented in narrative format. The findings are consistent with the literature review and examined elements of enabling and inhibiting factors experienced by other LGBT professionals. The findings suggest that African American gay men considering starting their own organizations may benefit from utilizing a collaborative leadership approach, inclusive decision-making practices, personal and professional flexibility, and expressing humility and authenticity. AAGME aspiring to begin their own enterprises may also benefit from mentorship from an established LGBT businessperson and/or living in, or establishing their company in a geography that is supportive of LGBT persons and conducive to holistic identity expression.</p>

<p> This mixed-methods study analyzed the effectiveness of the practices and attitudes of selected African American teachers who use culturally relevant and responsive Afrocentric pedagogies as the instructional foundation for improved academic outcomes with their African American students. The theory of Afrocentricity was used as the philosophical framework to study their pedagogy. Afrocentricity is a mode of thought and practice in which in African people are placed at the center of their own history and culture; engages them as subjects rather than objects; and approaches them with respect for their interests, values, and perspectives (Asante 1980, 2003). Concepts employed from this theoretical framework provided a lens for the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data collected and analyzed. The setting for this study was a private Afrocentric prekindergarten through 8th-grade school. The participants in this study were 3 African American teachers. Data collected and analyzed supported using culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy to produce improved academic outcomes for students of color (Boykin, 1984, 1994; Hale-Benson, 1986; King, 1991; Ladson-Billings, 1994; Shujaa, 1995; Villegas, 1991).</p><p> Findings suggested that in selected academic settings improved academic performance occurred for African American students when teachers used culture relevant and responsive pedagogy. The following themes were embedded in the pedagogy: self-determination, academic empowerment, cultural empowerment, and family/community empowerment. The findings implied a need for teachers and teacher-training institutions to re-examine, recommit, and re-institute culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy that respects and addresses the culture, education, and social improvement for positive academic outcomes for all children.</p><p> <i>Keywords:</i> Afrocentricity, Afrocentric Pedagogy, achievement gap, culturally responsive pedagogy.</p>