“Just One More Thing on Our Plate that Makes it Undesirable to be around”: African Americans’ Experiences during COVID-19

Abstract

As a historically marginalized group, African Americans experience social stigma resulting from the legacies of slavery and discrimination. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic presents unique challenges for African Americans in coping with pandemic-related stigma, specifically with implications for disease testing, treatment, and spread. This research focused on African Americans’ experiences with social stigma during COVID-19. A diverse group of twenty-six African American adults participated in this study, which was guided by the social stigma frameworks of Goffman (1963) and Link and Phelan (2001). Thematic analysis of data suggests that participants expressed that COVID-19 created another layer of stigma and discrimination to manage. Additionally, participants viewed media and public health reports as further stigmatizing Black communities. Participants also reported urgency and responsibility for their well-being and agency in developing opinions on COVID-19 information. Findings offer insight into health communication approaches to address COVID-related stigma in public health messaging.