The United States of America is a country composed of various ethnicities. This country is considered to be a multi-cultural society. There are various cultural traditions values, norms and superstitious practices within each ethnic group. Attitudes toward end of life care are complex and vary differently across each ethnic group. This study explored factors that explained African Americans' disproportionate use of hospice. Access to hospice care was address, experience with hospice was explored, and recommendations were provided. This study conducted non-experimental research. The design of this exploratory study was quantitative in nature. A survey approach was utilized to collect data that was statistically analyzed. The important concept was African American disproportionate use of hospice. The variable willingness to use was employed to try to explain African Americans' disproportionate use of hospice. The independent variables African Americans who mistrust formal healthcare providers and knowledge about hospice services were operationalized using multiple indicators. The independent variable experience with hospice services did not use a scale. The research findings supported all three study hypotheses. This research results recommend that an important focus of the future be to counsel persons on the availability of hospice as an option for end-of-life care. Well-structured programs of training in cultural awareness and cultural competence throughout the ranks of the health care system must be instituted. Such an effort will pay dividends in reducing cultural mistrust and push closer to eliminating health disparities between minority groups and the rest of society.

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The purpose of this study was to test John McWhorter's theory on African American academic underachievement. The theory claims that since the 1960's African American identities have been significantly influenced by beliefs of victimization and anti-intellectualism along with values of separatism. In order to test for the existence of these dimensions in African American's thinking and for their relationship to academic achievement, data from the Maryland Adolescence Development In Context Study (MADICS) were used. Findings indicated that victimization, separatism and anti-intellectualism have a causal relationship and that sentiments of victimization are found to be significantly higher among African Americans. A Bourdieuian theoretical framework is used in the framing and interpretation of the results.

The purpose of this study is to reexamine the assumption in American historiography that the United States Supreme Court's monumental decision in the Civil Rights Cases striking down the 1875 Civil Rights Act represented the end of the Nineteenth Century commitment to "equality under the law" and the civil rights issue. The evidence shows that while the decision had overwhelming support, much of this was support for the Court’s view that such legislation was not within the scope of Federal power. Eleven states responded to the Supreme Court’s decision by rapidly enacting civil rights legislation. The research centered on gathering data (legislative journals, proposed bills, and newspapers) to examine the depth and nature of this response. The evidence does seem to suggest that the legacy of "equality under the law" did continue into the 1880’s. Also the great degree, of partisan behavior displayed by some toward the bills and the caution in defining positions shown by others indicates that politicians were very concerned with the power of the black voter. The black man's rights and the black man's vote were not forgotten by the politicians in the 1880's.

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PURPOSE: African Americans (AA) are at a higher risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and some studies report a higher frequency of microsatellite instability (MSI) in this population while others report lower frequency compared to Caucasians. AIM: To determine and evaluate the association of race and clinical factors with MSI frequency through meta-analysis. METHODS: Twenty-two studies out of 15,105 (1997-2015) were evaluated after a search in different literature databases, using keywords "colorectal cancer, microsatellite instability, African Americans, Caucasians and Hispanics". We used random effect meta-analysis to calculate the MSI frequency in all studies as well as in African American and Caucasian samples. Meta-regression analysis was used to assess the univariate effect of race, gender, age, tumor location and stage on MSI frequency. RESULTS: The overall MSI frequency among CRCs was 17% (95% CI: 15%-19%, I-2 = 91%). In studies with available race data, The MSI rate among AAs, Hispanics and Caucasians were 12%, 12% and 14% respectively and was not significantly different. Sub-group analysis of studies with racial information indicates MSI OR of 0.78 for AAs compared to Caucasians. CONCLUSION: CRCs demonstrate an overall MSI frequency of 17%. MSI frequency differences between AAs and Caucasians were not pronounced, suggesting that other factors contribute to the racial disparity. The methodological approaches and biological sources of the variation seen in MSI frequency between different studies need to be further investigated.

The study was conducted in two phases. Phase I consisted of generating models of risk reduction behaviors in order to implement and test risk reduction interventions for Phase II. The purposes of Phase I were: (a) to identify among a group of African-Americans individual and group risk factors for hypertension, and to identify demographic and psychosocial variables most predictive of risk reduction behaviors for hypertension, (b) to design and test a model that combines important demographic and psychosocial determinants of risk reduction behaviors, and (c) to generate data based models of the predictors of each risk reduction behavior for hypertension in the group of African-Americans. The conceptual model for the study was developed by combining variables from the Health Belief Model--susceptibility, severity, and barriers with variables from social learning theory-health locus of control and self-efficacy. The focus of Phase I was to test the model to determine the interactions among the variables, because the assumptions of the underlying theories suggest multiplicative rather than linear relationships. One hundred forty-three subjects completed Phase I. The demographic variables age, gender, and education entered the model as direct effects and strong moderators. Education was a direct effect for stress reduction and moderated the effect of risk severity in diet fat. Age as a direct effect explained 19 percent of the variance in diet sodium intake and 21 percent of the variance in diet fat as a direct effect and moderating effect of risk severity. Twenty-seven percent of the variance in alcohol use was explained by age (B = -.24) difficulty (B =.26), and risk health value moderated by age (B = -.27). Sixty-three percent of the variance in smoking behaviors was explained by the direct effects of age (B = -.20), gender (B = -12) and difficulty (B =.25), and by the interaction of age and difficulty (B =.52). In Phase II, interventions were developed that used either motivational or educational skills strategies such as monetary incentives, screening, risk assessment, health education, dietary analysis, and self-monitoring. Twenty-eight subjects participated in the pilot test of Phase II. Participants were most interested in modifying their diet fat intake and increasing stress reduction. The findings that each risk reduction behavior was predicted by different variables and/or different interaction patterns of the same variables supports further study of each risk reduction behavior rather than looking at risk reduction behavior as a conglomerate or as a summed health-promotive behavior. The study also supported the underlying theoretical assumptions of the Health Belief Model, and Social Learning Theory that the relationships between the variables is multiplicative, as moderating effects were found, but no mediating effects were supported.

This study investigated a Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program in one high school in Arizona to discover relationships among empowerment, leadership, and achievement in schools that have JROTC programs. Anecdotes and experiences of those participating in JROTC suggested that this program and the concepts that guide it would provide techniques for solving the underachievement of black students in schools today. Specifically, this study analyzed the current conditions of black students in a JROTC program in one high school by fully examining and describing aspects of this program. In addition, the study examined the contributions of the program to promoting empowerment, leadership, and academic achievement among black students. Data collection methods were designed to explore and describe the JROTC phenomenon at one high school. Three lists of questions were developed to gather data from students, teachers, and the JROTC faculty. The purpose of this study was to lend support to what may be occurring in JROTC to influence the academic achievement of JROTC students. Each group of respondents provided information that helped the researcher to get a better understanding of what was occurring in the program and how this process may influence achievement. In this study, 14 black students, three JROTC instructors, and five teachers were questioned about the programs and its impact on the public school experiences of the black students enrolled in the program. Pre- and post-grade point averages for these students were also examined to explore relationships among achievement, leadership, and empowerment. Data for this study were of such a nature that analysis by statistical methods only would not make the fullest use of all information available. For this reason, a case study of the South Mountain JROTC Program, with an emphasis on the black student enrolled, was presented. Statistical comparisons of the pre- and post-grade point averages were also made. This study suggested that the JROTC program may have implications for positively influencing the achievement of black students. Additionally, self-esteem building, peer influence, and self-discipline may have possibilities for implementation in many schools.

This thesis is a descriptive account of the history of Negroes in Texas including how they came to reside in Texas, their population trends, and the developments they have made since 1900 in areas such as politics, education, and the work force.

This dissertation asserts that members of Ile Asho Funfun, the Lucumí spiritual house at the center of the research, is comprised of members who have undergone the process of converting to the spiritual practice of Lucumí and, as such, have experienced tremendous personal transformation. The author argues that the religious practice of Lucumí was introduced to African Americans through music and dance traditions in the 1940s by performing artists and that since that time music has been one of the foremost tools of conversion. Among the theories asserted herein, the author develops the theory of reversion to describe the process of conversion from Christianity to Lucumí. Borrowed from Islamic traditions that use the term to refer to a return to the natural state of awareness of the one true God, reversion here is viewed as a return to the religion of practitioners' ancestors and to a set of practices that are innately a part of human understanding of the cosmos and Creator as well their place within the cosmos and with the Creator. Furthermore, the author contends that process of reversion is ongoing, informed by Afrocentricity, and impacted by the constant expansion and contraction of the religion. These occur as individuals and the community adjust to life events while negotiating their identity as both African and American. This dissertation establishes the theories of expansion and contraction as the processes by which African practitioners of Yoruba-derived religions have always adapted their practices to the situation and environment. The author introduces these concepts as a more precise description of processes of adaptation than the more commonly cited concept of syncretism. The author both observed and practiced the religion for ten years prior to undertaking the research and did field work and ethnographic research for six years while studying for and writing this dissertation using a reflexive approach. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2016. / February 4, 2016. / African-American, Conversion, Ethnomusicology, Lucumi, Reversion, Yoruba / Includes bibliographical references. / Frank Gunderson, Professor Directing Dissertation; Maxine Jones, University Representative; Michael B. Bakan, Committee Member; Denise Von Glahn, Committee Member.