I develop a feminist critique of three features in contemporary views of race: the meaning of race is essentially biological; each of us has exactly one kind of racial identity; and our racial identities are permanent. Having revealed each of these features to be confusions about the language of racial identification, I contend that our racial concepts currently permit a wider range of racial identifications than we currently acknowledge. Finally, I critically evaluate the political and ethical ramifications of treating race as a unified, permanent identity. Resistance to systems of racial and gendered oppression should challenge our identities as unified and permanent. / text

Within the past decade, two major events raised the national profile of the experiences of black youth and the realities of racism in the city of Kingston, Ontario. The first event occurred in the spring of 2001 and involved the dramatic “high-risk takedown” by Kingston Police of two innocent black male youths who were wrongly profiled as suspects in an assault case. The second event involved the subsequent release of a report commissioned by Kingston Police which confirmed that black male youth in Kingston were almost four times more likely to be stopped and questioned by Kingston police than any other racial group (Wortley and Marshall, 2005). This research, while not addressed to the specifics of racial profiling and policing in Kingston, focuses on the marginalized voices of male and female black youth in Kingston. Eight youth volunteered to participate in this study. Participants took part in one-on-one interviews with the researcher and three participated in a follow-up focus group session. Themes explored in the one-on-one interview and focus group sessions included factors influencing the construction of black identities within a predominantly white city, the negotiation of friendships and relationships, and interactions with public authorities such as teachers and the police. This study addresses the various ways in which black youth, male and female, experience life in their city – at home, at school, and in the community – and how they feel their blackness affects these experiences. It highlights the perspectives and insights of black Kingston youth. The findings of this research can help us better understand how black identities develop in small Canadian cities, how blackness is policed, and the internal and external “regimes of power” that govern these relations. (Foucault, 1977, p.112). The study offers a medium by which these voices may be heard and may contribute to long-term community-based anti-racism work in Kingston. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-30 23:08:45.145

Intersectionality theory has been put forth to explain how gender and race dually impact and act upon African American women (e.g., Settles, 2006; Thomas et al., 2008). Although there is a growing body of literature on the negative effect that perceived racism has on Black/African Americans well-being and that sexism has on women’s well-being, there is a paucity of research on the intersection of racism and sexism (i.e., gendered racism) and its influence on African American women’s well-being (e.g., Perry, Pullen, & Oser, 2012; Thomas et al., 2008). To address this gap in the literature, the current study examined gendered racism’s impact on African American women’s well-being (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms, life satisfaction, and the quality of their social relationships). Additionally, the protective (moderating) influence of racial identity, in particular racial centrality, racial public regard, and racial private regard, on the gendered racism and well-being relationship was examined. Self-identified African American, adult women (N = 249) were recruited from a southeastern metropolitan university. Lastly, the gendered racism measure used in the study, the Revised Schedule of Sexist Events (Thomas et al., 2008), appears to be a valid and reliable measure of African American women’s gendered racism experiences. Regression analyses found that more frequent experiences with gendered racism was associated with more depressive and anxiety symptoms. More frequent experiences of gendered racism were also associated with less optimal social relationships and poorer life satisfaction. Furthermore, racial identity dimensions did not moderate the impact of gendered racism on African American women’s well-being. Future studies should consider identities or worldviews that are theoretically aligned with the tenets of intersectionality theory as protective factors against the effect of gendered racism on African American women’s well-being.

Os clubes sociais negros em Porto Alegre passam por constantes transformações em sua estrutura e funcionamento. Esses clubes permanecem em atividade atualmente, são entidades centenárias e fazem parte da história associativa da população negra em Porto Alegre (RS). A estrutura dessas associações permite a emergência de agentes que constituem seus quadros diretivos, diferentes relações políticas e trajetórias. Desse modo, o estudo está direcionado a esses agentes (presidentes, conselheiros e assessores), suas trajetórias, envolvimento com o movimento negro e as constantes redefinições (construções/desconstruções) de concepções de política e cultura. São redefinições de concepções que transformam as atuações e conduções das associações Floresta Aurora e Satélite Prontidão, estabelecendo também algumas fronteiras entre movimento negro e associações ou política e cultura. Essas transformações se dão ao longo de um processo histórico em que se estabelecem diferentes estratégias, por parte dos atores sociais em questão, disputando, assim, suas próprias fronteiras. / Afro-Brazilian cultural societies in Porto Alegre (RS) are constantly facing structural and organizational transformations. Floresta Aurora and Satélite Prontidão are centennial societies which are still active and are part of the history of the Afro-Brazilian population in Porto Alegre. Their structural organization occasions the emergence of agents who are members of their executive boards, as well as various political relationships and personal trajectories. Thus, the present study is focused on such agents (presidents, counselors and secretaries), their personal trajectories, their commitment to the Afro- Brazilian social movement and the constantly redefining concepts of politics and culture. This redefinition of concepts entail transformations in the actions and administrative orientation of these societies, as well as set the boundaries between Afro-Brazilian cultural societies and the Afro-Brazilian social movement and, or between politics and culture. Such transformations result from a long historical process during which social actors employ different strategies so that they end up setting those boundaries.

The purpose of this study was to examine the interrelationships between daily hassle stressors (i.e., racial microaggressions and college hassle stress), racial identity, perceived stress, and depression among Black/African American college students. It was hypothesized that perceived stress would partially mediate the relationships between daily hassle stressors and depression. Racial identity was hypothesized to moderate the relationship between racial microaggressions and perceived stress. Data were analyzed from a sample of 142 Black/African American college students from a medium sized university in the Midwest. Utilizing EQS, a path analysis was conducted to test the hypothesized model. Findings from the analysis revealed that perceived stress partially mediated the relationship between college hassle stress and depression. Findings also revealed that perceived stress fully mediated the relationship between racial microaggressions and depression. Interestingly, a significant negative relationship was found between racial microaggressions and perceived stress. Racial identity was not a significant moderator in this study. Findings are indicative that Black/African American college students experience race-related stress differently than general daily hassles. Implications for future research, clinical interventions, and social justice initiatives are discussed.

Through the use of an analog methodology and a factorial experimental design, the current study investigated the effects of counselors' race and multicultural competency on counselor preference for Black participants. Eighty-seven African American college students participated in an online or computer-administered study. The African American multiculturally competent counselor received significantly higher counselor effectiveness ratings than did the White multiculturally competent counselor. Also, the correlations between racial identity ideologies and counselor effectiveness were examined within each condition of race and multicultural competency. Racial Identity was measured with the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity (Sellers, Rowley, Chavous, Shelton, & Smith, 1997). The findings from this study may assist counselors and researchers in understanding how potential African American clients perceive counselors based on their race and multicultural competency and how client's racial identity may affect African American clients' perceptions of counselors' effectiveness.

Os clubes sociais negros em Porto Alegre passam por constantes transformações em sua estrutura e funcionamento. Esses clubes permanecem em atividade atualmente, são entidades centenárias e fazem parte da história associativa da população negra em Porto Alegre (RS). A estrutura dessas associações permite a emergência de agentes que constituem seus quadros diretivos, diferentes relações políticas e trajetórias. Desse modo, o estudo está direcionado a esses agentes (presidentes, conselheiros e assessores), suas trajetórias, envolvimento com o movimento negro e as constantes redefinições (construções/desconstruções) de concepções de política e cultura. São redefinições de concepções que transformam as atuações e conduções das associações Floresta Aurora e Satélite Prontidão, estabelecendo também algumas fronteiras entre movimento negro e associações ou política e cultura. Essas transformações se dão ao longo de um processo histórico em que se estabelecem diferentes estratégias, por parte dos atores sociais em questão, disputando, assim, suas próprias fronteiras. / Afro-Brazilian cultural societies in Porto Alegre (RS) are constantly facing structural and organizational transformations. Floresta Aurora and Satélite Prontidão are centennial societies which are still active and are part of the history of the Afro-Brazilian population in Porto Alegre. Their structural organization occasions the emergence of agents who are members of their executive boards, as well as various political relationships and personal trajectories. Thus, the present study is focused on such agents (presidents, counselors and secretaries), their personal trajectories, their commitment to the Afro- Brazilian social movement and the constantly redefining concepts of politics and culture. This redefinition of concepts entail transformations in the actions and administrative orientation of these societies, as well as set the boundaries between Afro-Brazilian cultural societies and the Afro-Brazilian social movement and, or between politics and culture. Such transformations result from a long historical process during which social actors employ different strategies so that they end up setting those boundaries.

Os clubes sociais negros em Porto Alegre passam por constantes transformações em sua estrutura e funcionamento. Esses clubes permanecem em atividade atualmente, são entidades centenárias e fazem parte da história associativa da população negra em Porto Alegre (RS). A estrutura dessas associações permite a emergência de agentes que constituem seus quadros diretivos, diferentes relações políticas e trajetórias. Desse modo, o estudo está direcionado a esses agentes (presidentes, conselheiros e assessores), suas trajetórias, envolvimento com o movimento negro e as constantes redefinições (construções/desconstruções) de concepções de política e cultura. São redefinições de concepções que transformam as atuações e conduções das associações Floresta Aurora e Satélite Prontidão, estabelecendo também algumas fronteiras entre movimento negro e associações ou política e cultura. Essas transformações se dão ao longo de um processo histórico em que se estabelecem diferentes estratégias, por parte dos atores sociais em questão, disputando, assim, suas próprias fronteiras. / Afro-Brazilian cultural societies in Porto Alegre (RS) are constantly facing structural and organizational transformations. Floresta Aurora and Satélite Prontidão are centennial societies which are still active and are part of the history of the Afro-Brazilian population in Porto Alegre. Their structural organization occasions the emergence of agents who are members of their executive boards, as well as various political relationships and personal trajectories. Thus, the present study is focused on such agents (presidents, counselors and secretaries), their personal trajectories, their commitment to the Afro- Brazilian social movement and the constantly redefining concepts of politics and culture. This redefinition of concepts entail transformations in the actions and administrative orientation of these societies, as well as set the boundaries between Afro-Brazilian cultural societies and the Afro-Brazilian social movement and, or between politics and culture. Such transformations result from a long historical process during which social actors employ different strategies so that they end up setting those boundaries.

Race is a source of trauma that may result in a wide range of mental and physical health consequences (Pieterse, Todd, Neville, & Carter, 2012). In Chapter 1, I conduct a systematic review of research on race-based traumatic stress. Although studies have documented the link between perceived discrimination and race-based traumatic stress, there is a need to explore factors that can amplify or buffer this relationship. Thus, in Chapter 2, I examine three theorized moderators of the relationship between racial discrimination and race-based traumatic stress: cyberracism, racial/ethnic identity, and trait forgivingness. Data was collected from a sample of 397 African American community-based participants using Mechanical Turk. Results from the study revealed that perceptions of racism were significant and positively correlated to race-based traumatic stress symptoms (r = .62, p < .01). As predicted, cyberracism strengthened this relationship. Forgivingness buffered this relationship. Against my prediction, regardless of level of racial/ethnic identity, there was a similar association between perceived racial discrimination and race-based traumatic stress. I discuss implications for future research. I also discuss practical implications for practitioners, especially regarding habits of engaging social media during periods of intensified racial conflict on social media.

Thesis advisor: Janet E. Helms / Black Caribbean Immigrants (BCIs) migrating to the US face the particularly difficult challenge of managing their racial and ethnic identities in relation to the subordinate African American (AA) culture and racial group as well as the dominant White American (WA) culture and racial group. Formal theories of acculturation have not focused on the adaptation of Black immigrants to both a low-status racial group (e.g., Blacks) and ethnic culture (e.g., African American) in the US. The acculturation literature usually has evaded the topic of race and the racial literature has not addressed Black immigration or ethnicity. Furthermore, when investigations of acculturation of BCIs have occurred, consumer habits, behaviors, and cultural expressions have been used as proxies for racial and ethnic identity. Moreover, virtually no research has investigated the BCI-AA acculturation experience from the perspective of BCIs. Hypotheses derived from an integration of Berry’s (1997) theory of acculturation and Ferguson et al.’s (2012) tridimensional model of minority-status ethnicity were that BCIs’ acculturation involves the intersection of two dimensions: (a) joining or not joining AA culture versus maintaining one’s own ethnic culture and (b) Black racial integration versus separation. When responses to each dimension are assessed, four possible acculturation outcomes were proposed: (a) Separation, (b) Integration, (c) Assimilation, and (d) Marginalization. The sample for the present study was Black Caribbean immigrants from the English and French speaking West Indies. I used narrative theory and analysis of participants’ interviews to assess the fit of participants’ stories about their ethnic/racial identity and acculturation process to the model. Findings indicated that maintenance of their ethnic culture rather than joining AA culture was more important for most of the interviewees than their Black racial identity (i.e., Separation). / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.