Data indicated that although African Americans reported fewer occurrences of traumatic events than that of their racial/ethnic counterparts, however, the degree of traumatic events experienced by African Americans tends to be more serious and violent in nature. More so, lower recovery outcomes associated with PTSD among African Americans have been attributed to varying factors, such as financial restrictions, strained health care access, ineffective coping strategies as well as a mistrust of medical and clinical approaches, thus leading African Americans to seek faith-based approaches. This phenomenological study investigated clergy perspectives on religious coping constructs relative to the management of PTSD symptoms. The theory of religious coping was the theoretical framework: Based on Pargament’s assertion that an individual’s spirituality and religious disposition should be considered within the context of biopsychosocial analysis of mental health assessment in order to treat the whole person. Eight clergy members ordained within the African Methodist Episcopal Church denomination were interviewed in order to gain their perspectives relative to if and/or how religious coping constructs were exhibited during the management of PTSD symptoms. This investigation identified 10 themes associated with 4 constructs of religious coping: relevant training, establishment of a new normal, the relevancy of religion and the Black Church, purpose-centered trauma, divine personal encounters, active divine presence, divine reliance, the use of rituals, safe environment, and forgiveness of self, others and God. The results of this investigation reaffirmed that the inclusion of religious coping is a viable component of a holistic approach to addressing mental health adversities alongside medical and clinical approaches.

abstract: While the African American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s is one of the most famous and celebrated parts of American history, rhetoric scholars have illuminated the ways this subversive movement has been manipulated beyond recognition over time. These narrative constructions play a role in preserving what Maegan Parker Brooks calls the "conservative master narrative of civil rights history," a narrative that diminishes the work of activists while simultaneously promoting complacency to prevent any challenge to the white supremacist hegemony. This dissertation argues that the graphic memoir trilogy March by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell challenges this conservative master narrative through visual rhetoric, in particular through the comics techniques "braiding" and "weaving." Braiding occurs when authors create "webs of interrelation" (Miodrag 134) by repeating a technique throughout the text, which can sometimes involve a secondary narrative (Groensteen). Braids are associations in the network of panels of the comic that go beyond the parameters of strictly linear storytelling as panels echo those the reader has encountered before. The braids in March compare the past and present through a direct juxtaposition of January 20, 2009—the inauguration day of Barack Obama—with John Lewis' activism from 1959 to 1965. While this juxtaposition risks reinforcing a progress narrative that suggests racism is in the past, in fact, the braided inauguration scenes help the reader connect the moments of the past with their present, calling to mind the ways white supremacy endures in contemporary America. Weaving refers to the reader’s action of moving back and forth in the comics narrative to create meaning, and artists use techniques that facilitate this behavior, such as leaving out or minimizing significant cues and creating a sense of ambiguity that leads the reader to become curious about the events in the sequence. Weaving can disrupt an easy linear narrative of depicted events—such as Fannie Lou Hamer's testimony at the Democratic National Convention—as artists present several opportunities for the reader to interpret these stories in ways that challenge a conservative master narrative of the events in the trilogy. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation English 2019

In the past decade, many American high school graduates have been deprived of the cultural vocabulary that was once the fundamental and common possession of educated persons in past generations. This dearth of knowledge--also described as a lack of cultural literacy is a glaring problem, reflected quite noticeably in declining scores on standardized tests. This national paucity in cultural literacy has not left the Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School (in Roosevelt, New York) unscathed; therefore, this study assessed the needs of the students and devised strategies to meet those needs. In 1991, five workshops were conducted for teachers in the English/language arts department. Because the Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School, which comprises a predominantly Black, middle-class student population, has not escaped this national malady, this study utilized action research to improve teaching techniques and enhance cultural literacy. Using African-American culture as a vehicle, an effort was made to forge a link between Black culture (emphasizing the literary aspect) and other required materials. The main objective was, and still is to motivate students to learn, thereby improving their academic status and raising their test scores. In every field of endeavor--be it educational, or otherwise, it would benefit the leaders or staff members to make attempts to meet the students, workers, or members, where they are on their various intellectual and inspirational levels, tapping into their latent talents. With emphasis on collaboration and an action research approach, an effort was made to implement measures for solving the stated problem. Academically, this study offered students the opportunity to use their cultural heritage, their interests, and their talents as a catalyst to general "world knowledge." This rise in levels of cultural literacy may lead to greater feelings of self-worth, and eventual improvement in test scores on teacher-made tests as well as standardized tests.

My study challenges our current valorization of movement and flow in readings of African American literature. I do so through an exploration of the representations of the black agrarian masses who either choose to remain or could not afford the spectacular forms of escape to urban life which many essentialized as freedom. In the dramatic and pivotal decades following emancipation, African American leaders attempted to check the growing apartheid by the “combination” of diverse African American communities: North and South, professional and working class. This required that they move beyond the question of whether one was free or slave to the more tangled questions of freedom related to economic class, access to and distinctions of culture, and the opportunities of the city versus the country. Their writing was one means to seek out a more nationally defined community, but their efforts towards racial unity had to resolve the conspicuous differences regarding region and class. A difficult negotiation of difference ensued. In this negotiation, I argue, an agrarian form of freedom manifests itself in the literature of the professional class despite the intraracial pressures of “uplift” ideology which skewed representation toward middle-class life. The politics as well as the values and culture of the agrarian class surface. The agrarian themes of community, remaining, and an environmentalism of the poor contest the valorization of urban industrialism and self-made man ideology which are linked to presentations of a city-life as a life of freedom.

No description available.

Depression is a global health concern and among the top two causes of disability and disease. African-Americans often seek help from the Black church, but Pentecostal churches may fail to provide effective support due to doctrinal beliefs. African-American women with depression struggle due to psychosocial implications of the diagnosis. This research study used social constructionism and the biopsychosocial model of health to explore the lived experiences of African- American women suffering from self-reported depression while attending Pentecostal churches in the Northeast United States. Fourteen women, ages 20 to 76, participated in this qualitative, phenomenological study. Data obtained from the semistructured, face-to-face interviewswas analyzed with Moustakas' modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method. Findings included the following main themes: the Pentecostal church was ineffective in dealing with depression, participants drew comfort from personal faith in God, participants emoted through their behavior, most felt they had to wear a mask, traditional supports were used to deal with depression, strength was expected of them, they were blamed by the church for their depression, traumatic experiences were related to depression, and psychological harm was suffered because of Pentecostal church membership. Social change implications included the personal liberation of research participants who shared their experiences. Other implications include the potential for clergy to adopt more supportive practices for their members based on these findings and for mental health professionals to develop treatment options that are more culturally attuned and sensitive.

Researchers have found that African American men have a history of difficulty in maintaining family cohesion. Researchers have also found that, in comparison to European American men, African American men are more likely to populate the penal systems, are more abusive to their partners, are less supportive of their children, and are less likely to have stable cohesive relationships. Evidence suggests that African American men draw strength from spirituality and hope, which are the core values of their culture. Drawing from these previous findings, as well as the stages of faith theory, hope theory, and the circumflex model of marital and family systems, this quantitative, non-experimental study examined the roles of spirituality and hope on family cohesion among African American men. The INSPIRIT, the hope scale, and the family cohesion scale were administered to 110 African American men. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that hope mediated a significant relationship between spirituality and family cohesion (p < .05). These findings may inform family-centered programs that facilitate cohesion.

Many young adult African American men living in urban areas adopt a style of self-presentation known as the gangsta image in an attempt to earn and maintain what they may perceive to be respect, self-esteem, and social status. While these young men succeed in earning the respect of their peers, they also may jeopardize their chances of succeeding in mainstream society by engaging in an alienating lifestyle related to their alternative form of status. The purpose of this case study was to explore the concepts of respect and self-esteem as defined by a culture-sharing group of young African American men living in an urban environment. Using the theoretical lens of Goffman's dramaturgical model of social interactions, case studies of 4 young African American males' experience of self-esteem and respect as components of social acceptance were explored. Their sources of teachings about respect and social position received from the authority figures in their environment, as well as the contextual factors that shaped their self-concept, were also delineated. The research used a qualitative, case study design. Data were collected from observations, interviews, participatory photography, and document review and analyzed by coding and concept mapping using Atlas.ti software. The key finding was that perceptions of self-respect were connected to ongoing negative relationships with mainstream society and law enforcement. This study contributes to social change by helping human services professionals to comprehend the meaning and significance of respect and self-esteem for this population. This understanding can then inform practices related to engaging and supporting the mainstream success of this important group.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that African American women had the lowest recorded number of suicide completions among all ethnic and gender groups in the United States. In addition, the number of suicides among African American women continued to soar without a clear reason or understanding of their lowest completion rates. Further research in the area of spirituality among African American women may be critical in understanding why African American women's rates of completed suicides are statistically lower than other ethnic groups and how to prevent future rate increases. A phenomenological framework was used to examine the thoughts and opinions of African American Christian women on whether or not religion plays a vital part during the contemplation phase of suicidal ideations and on their reasons for living. The study explored the low rates of suicide completions among African American women from a religious and spiritual perspective. Fifteen African American Christian women who had contemplated suicide were recruited via flyers posted at a local church campus. Participants were individually interviewed about their lived experiences during suicidal behaviors. After the interviews were transcribed, data were coded by assigning numbers to common themes and placing the common themes into categories. The results indicated that among the small sample of 15 participants, religion and spirituality are highly considered as being a protective factor against repeated suicidal behavior, followed by family relationships, when compared to other reasons for living. The least likely protective factor was financial status. The findings suggest that spirituality can be used as a preventative measure to lower the risk of suicide completions among African American Christian women.

African Americans diagnosed with diabetes are less likely to self-manage diabetes-specific modifiable risk factors. As a result, utilization of healthcare services occurs at a greater rate than other racial groups, and thereby incurs higher than expected healthcare costs. This ethnographic study explored the elements of diabetes educational material African Americans in a large city in the southern part of the United States found most useful to facilitate self-management of their disease. Bandura's self-efficacy theory provided the theoretical framework. Research questions addressed the preferred educational content, layout of material, and methods for educational delivery and caregiver support. A purposive sample of 30 African Americans with diabetes who had engaged in diabetes education classes participated in this study. Data were collected through in-depth personal interviews, which were inductively coded and then categorized around emergent themes. A key finding of this study is that participants preferred group learning formats, but perceived educational material to be confusing and difficult to understand. They also expressed some preferences for the use of color, pictures, and presentation of graphical information that may provide the basis for a revision of educational materials. Interestingly, participants indicated a tendency to seek out church members rather than family for support. The positive social change implications of this study include recommendations to healthcare professionals to adopt educational curricula that reflect cultural nuances and needs of target populations in order to support better health outcomes for at-risk populations and cost efficiency improvements.