African American Youth Research Articles

The De-Gentrification of New Markets Tax Credits

"I am concerned and I am frustrated because I don't know what the alternates are...It clearly isn't racist; its economics. The real question you have to ask yourself is: Is this good orbad?"-Norman Rice, former Mayor of Seattle, On gentrification in that cityUrban America is in a state of crisis. A huge pool of America's resources is increasingly disconnected from mainstream society. That pool is within the core of major cities and particularly includes African American and Hispanic male youth. By way of illustration, more than half of all core city African American men do not finish high school. The correlation between drop-out rates, unemployment, and incarceration is profound. As of 2004, 72% of African American dropouts who are in their 20's are unemployed, up from 65% in 2000.s Incarceration levels are at historic highs and increasing, where by their mid-30's, 6 in 10 of these high school drop outs have spent time in prison. That rate is four times higher than that of Black men in South Africa under the apartheid regime. Seventy-five percent of African American males incarcerated in Baltimore Maryland did not graduate from high school. The infant mortality rate among all African Americans is more than twice the national average, and is much worse among the poor in the core of urban America. After the Katrina floodwatershave receded, some see an opportunity to buy low and sell high. But themuted voices of the poor cry to keep what they had.' For them it was aKatrina moment. For the urban core poor across the nation, it has been aKatrina erosion over the decades from a series of unnatural disasters.

Developing a Clinic-Based, Vaccine-Promoting Intervention for African American Youth in Rural Alabama: Protocol for a Pilot Cluster-Randomized Controlled Implementation Science Trial.

BackgroundAfrican American youth in rural Alabama are clinically underserved and have limited knowledge about the human papillomavirus and the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, including knowledge about the risk for developing cervical or oropharyngeal cancers or COVID-19.ObjectiveIn this 30-month study, we propose to develop an in-clinic, youth-tailored, vaccine-promoting intervention for vaccine hesitancy reduction that can be seamlessly integrated into the existing environments of pediatric and family practice settings in rural Alabama.MethodsThis exploratory, sequential mixed methods study will be conducted in 3 phases. In the first phase, we will assess stakeholders’ knowledge, sentiments, and beliefs related to vaccination in general, COVID-19 vaccination, and human papillomavirus vaccination. We will also assess stakeholders’ perceptions of barriers to vaccination that exist in rural Alabama. This will be followed by a second phase wherein we will use the data collected in the first phase to inform the development and finalization of a noninvasive, modular, synchronous counseling intervention that targets the behaviors of 15- to 26-year-old adolescents. In the third phase, we will conduct a pilot hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation cluster-randomized controlled trial to assess intervention acceptability and feasibility (clinics: N=4; African American youth: N=120) while assessing a “clinical signal” of effectiveness. We will document implementation contexts to provide real-world insight and support dissemination and scale-up.ResultsThe study was funded at the end of December 2020. Approval from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Institutional Review Board was obtained in May 2021, and the qualitative data collection process outlined in the first phase of this project concluded in November 2021. The entire study is expected to be complete at the end of December 2023.ConclusionsThe results of the trial will provide much needed information on vaccine hesitancy in rural Alabama, and if found efficacious, the intervention could notably increase rates of vaccinations in one of the most underserved parts of the United States. The results from the trial will provide information that is valuable to public health practitioners and providers in rural settings to inform their efforts in increasing vaccination rates among 15- to 26-year-old African American youth in rural southern United States.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04604743; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04604743International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/33982

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access to Mental Health Services for African and Arab American Youth: An Audit Study

ABSTRACT Racial disparities exist in the quality of and access to mental health services for people of color. Provider bias has been found to avert African American adults from accessing services. However, it is unknown whether provider bias affects service access for African and Arab American youth. Moreover, little is known about the role of client gender and community variables such as urbanicity (i.e., urban versus non-urban) in access to care for youth. Audit methodology examined whether client race/ethnicity and gender predicted providers’ responses to help-seeking messages in an urban and non-urban area of Michigan. Voice actresses created audio recordings portraying a White, African American, or Arab American mother requesting a therapy appointment for her adolescent. Recordings were left on providers’ voicemails in Metro Detroit and Southwest Michigan. Data were collected on whether the providers: (i) called back, and (ii) initiated or denied services. The effect of client characteristics on the odds of a provider calling back differed by location. In the non-urban location, White clients had a 3.4–3.8 times greater odds of receiving a callback than the African and Arab American clients. Additionally, in the urban location, female clients had a 2 times greater odds of receiving a callback than the male clients. Findings from this study suggest that provider bias limited access to mental health services for African and Arab American adolescents in the non-urban location, highlighting the need for strategies to address disparities in access to mental health services for youth of color.

Race-related Stressors and Resources for Resilience: Associations With Emotional Health, Conduct Problems, and Academic Investment Among African American Early Adolescents.

African American youths in the United States grow up in a society with a long, pervasive, and living history of interpersonal and institutional racism. This study examined whether race-related stressors (awareness and experiences of racism) and resources for resilience (racial-ethnic connectedness and perceptions of embedded achievement) were associated with emotional health, conduct problems, and academic investment among African American early adolescents. Embedded achievement is the belief that achievement is a part of one's racial or ethnic group identity. Participants were recruited from an urban school and youth club (N= 75, mean age= 11.6 years, 71% male participants). Structured interviews were administered to youths. Adjusting for age and sex, racial-ethnic connectedness and embedded achievement were associated with fewer emotional problems and conduct problems. In addition, embedded achievement was associated with greater academic investment. Racial-ethnic connectedness modified associations between awareness and experiences of racism and emotional problems; racism was associated with more emotional problems, but only among youths with lower levels of racial-ethnic connectedness. Youths' perceptions of embedded achievement modified an association between experiences of racism and conduct problems; experiences of racism were associated with more conduct problems, but only among youths with lower perceptions of embedded achievement. Race-related resources for resilience appear to promote emotional, behavioral, and academic well-being among African American youths and to confer protection when youths are confronted with the stress and adversity of racism. Health professionals can advocate for policies and practices to combat racism and to foster racial pride and connectedness among youths of color.

Ethnic identity protects against feelings of defeat and entrapment on suicide ideation in African American young adults.

Recent trends in suicide and suicide-related risk suggest that African American youth are particularly vulnerable; however, little is known about the sociocultural context of suicide-related risk in this population. The present study examined ethnic identity as a moderator of the relationship between defeat and entrapment and suicide ideation in African American young adults. A sample of African American college students (N = 106; 46.2% female; (Mage = 20.63) completed a battery of surveys online. Using cross-sectional data, a moderation analysis was conducted. As partially hypothesized, ethnic identity, specifically exploration and commitment, weakened the relationship between defeat and entrapment and suicide ideation. This study suggests that African Americans who frequently engage in customary traditions and organizations with other African Americans may be protected from the harmful effects of feelings of defeat and entrapment on suicide ideation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of an After-School Program for African-American and Hispanic Male Youth: Please Call Me Mister

Evaluation of an After-School Program for African-American and Hispanic Male Youth: Please Call Me Mister

Exploring African American Male Youth’s Perceptions of Community Involvement Through 4-H Programs

Civic engagement research suggests that youths’ involvement in their communities results in a number of positive personal and social attributes. However, among urban populations, there is still a dearth of research on their involvement and the impact of civic participation on their development. More importantly within these populations, there is limited understanding of how Black male youth engage within civic participatory spaces. Increasing but limited research on young Black male youth usually focuses on identity, participation in programs, and socioeconomic levels. Further understanding is needed as to the factors which influence and impact Black male youths’ interests and actual participation in community and extracurricular activities. This paper explores data from urban African American high school male youth that include their perceptions and knowledge and attitudes toward being involved in their community through 4-H youth programs. The authors find that opportunities to learn a new skill and building professional portfolios assist these young Black males in their perception of being effective in their communities and making a difference for themselves.

Deconstructing adolescent ethnicity: A longitudinal analysis of ethnic-racial identity development and self-categorization.

The study of adolescent perceptions of their ethnicity/race has been investigated from an ethnic-racial identity (measurement) perspective or through an ethnic-racial classification lens. This study examines both, as it explores change in adolescents' ethnic-racial self-categorization; change in strength of ethnic-racial identity (ERI); and the relationship between change in self-categorization and strength of ERI. In so doing, it contributes to theorizing about the content and process of ERI formation. The longitudinal and mixed-methods study followed 732 middle and high school students biannually in a semi-rural, ethnically diverse school district. All students completed the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) in fall and spring each year and interviewed annually for qualitative inquiry. The four waves of data demonstrated that: (1) 22% of students changed their ethnic-racial classification at least once; (2) Multiracial youth, boys, and 8th graders were significantly more likely to change self-classification compared to White youth, girls, and 10 th graders; (3) strength of ERI did not change over time, however, African American and Hispanic youth had the strongest ERI over time compared to the others; (4) change in self-classification was significantly related to change in strength of ERI, however, its direction varied by race of students. While adolescent ethnic-racial identity development (ERI) appears to be related to ethnic-racial categorization, the direction of the relationship varies depending on ethnic self-categorization. Results contribute to theory building of ERI in relation to: content and process, group consciousness, certainty and clarity, and public regard.

Racial discrimination and substance use among African American youth: Personal and collective self-esteem as mechanisms

Little is known about the mechanisms of the relationship between racial discrimination and substance use among Black youth. The current study examined the role of collective self-esteem and personal self-esteem in this relationship among Black adolescents in grades 5 through 12 (N = 1514; 57% female). Regression analyses estimated direct effects of perceived racial discrimination on substance use and indirect effects of discrimination on substance use through personal and collective self-esteem. Controlling for grade and sex, results revealed significant indirect effects such that experiences of discrimination were positively associated with substance use through lower reports of collective and personal self-esteem. Findings suggest that bolstering personal and race-related esteem may mitigate the deleterious influence of discrimination among Black youth.

Understanding suicide risk for youth who are both Black and Native American: The role of intersectionality and multiple marginalization.

Native American and multiracial youth experience elevated risk for suicide ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA); however, intersectional identities are often unexamined in suicide research. We examined the prevalence of SI and SA, and the impact of intersectional identities (sex, sexual minority identity, and economic insecurity) on these rates, in 496 biracial Black-Native American, 2,804 Native American, 14,220 Black, 5,569 biracial Native American-White, 4,076 biracial Black-White, and 118,816 White youth who participated in the Minnesota Student Survey. Black-Native American youth reports of SI and SA resembled other Native American youth and were significantly higher than those reported by Black, White, and Black-White (SA only) youth. While sexual minority youth reported higher rates of SI and SA than heterosexual youth, this difference between sexual minority and heterosexual Black-Native American youth was smaller as compared to their peers. Though they largely resemble their mono/biracial Native American peers, Black-Native American youth show some distinct patterns of SA when accounting for their intersectional identities. Despite presumed similarities in systemic risk factors, Black and Black-Native American youth differ considerably in reported suicidality. The experiences of Black-Native American teens warrant further examination.

Maternal closeness, kinship ties, and future orientation among rural African American youth: The mediating role of ethnic identity.

Few studies have considered the importance of kin or extended family relationships on future orientation. Additionally, some of the underlying processes linking social bonds to future orientation remain poorly understood. Based on theoretical work focused on attachment and identity, this study tested the potential mediating effects of ethnic identity on the links between close relationships (maternal closeness and kinship ties) and future orientation over time. Specifically, the study tested the extent to which ethnic identity mediated the relationship between maternal closeness and future orientation, and the relationship between kinship ties and future orientation. In addition, it tested whether sex moderated the relationships between maternal closeness/kinship ties and future orientation measures (education and career) as well as between ethnic identity and future orientation measures. Self-report data were collected twice, approximately 6 months apart, during a school year from a sample of rural African American adolescents (n = 274, Mage = 14.81, SD = 1.48). Findings provided evidence of mediation effects by ethnic identity on the relationships between maternal closeness and future orientation measures, and the link between kinship ties and future orientation measures. In addition, sex moderated the associations between ethnic identity and future education orientation as well as between maternal closeness and future education orientation; no moderation effects were found for the links with future career orientation measures. Maternal closeness and kinship ties appear to be critical for supporting ethnic identity and for developing educational and career future orientation among rural African American youth.

Mary F. Lenox: Library and Information Science Connector and Poet of Justice

ABSTRACT Mary F. Lenox, born 1944, is a notable scholar, library school leader, Kellogg National Fellow 1982, school librarian in Chicago (MLS Rosary College), and ardent poet. Best known as the first Black dean at the University of Missouri, Dr. Lenox has many accomplishments before, within, and after that post meriting parallel recognition. She is a role model for Black students and faculty across the campus, and for her compeers nationwide – colleagues in ALA’s then-Young Adult Services Division and readers of her poetry in two books (2015, 2019), spoken at TEDx San Diego, or on the airwaves anew after the killing of George Floyd in May 2020. In our study of Dr. Lenox’s LIS educator career we draw together her leadership of the school librarianship study program and grants, her successful organizing against proposed budget cuts and selection as dean, and her scholarship on libraries in African American life, youth services, and cooperative multimedia-collection building.

Racialized Gender Differences in Mental Health Service Use, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Recidivism Among Justice-Involved African American Youth

Racialized Gender Differences in Mental Health Service Use, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Recidivism Among Justice-Involved African American Youth

Resilience and Family Socialization Processes in Ethnic Minority Youth: Illuminating the Achievement-Health Paradox.

Youth in marginalized communities who “strive” to rise above adversity, including systemic racism and poverty, are considered “resilient.” African-American, Latinx, and Asian-American youth often achieve admirable academic success despite limited social capital and high early life stress by adopting a “striving persistent behavioral style” (SPBS). SPBS may be supported by family socialization processes that facilitate reliance on self-regulation processes. Unfortunately, a young person’s resilience in one domain (i.e., academic) can come at a cost in other domains, including physical and mental health morbidities that are under-identified and under-treated. Indeed, research suggests a link between SPBS in the face of adversity and later health morbidities among ethnic minority youth. Herein, we describe SPBS as an adaptation to minority stress that not only promotes social mobility but may also stoke physical and mental health disparities. We review how family processes related to academic, emotional, and ethnic-racial socialization can facilitate the striving persistent behavioral style. We emphasize the double bind that ethnic minority families are caught in and discuss directions for future research and clinical implications for individual and family-level interventions. While needed, we argue that individual and family-level interventions represent a near-term work around. Solutions and factors that shape the need for SPBS and its cost must be addressed structurally.

Discrimination and Health: Fostering Better Health for Black American Youth

The Black Lives Matter movement has heightened US cultural awareness of the disproportionate burden of racial discrimination for Black Americans. With a special emphasis on Black youth, this review describes the health consequences of discrimination, including depression, anxiety, suicide, stress biology, immune system dysfunction, and cellular aging. However, as evidence documents, ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) reduces the mental, academic, and physical impacts of racial discrimination. A specific policy recommendation would integrate ERS into intervention efforts to reduce the health burden of discrimination on minority youth.

Reciprocal Relationships between Disrespect Sensitivity, Racial Discrimination, and Aggression in African American Youth

African American youth are more likely to experience racial discrimination, which contributes to greater sensitivity to disrespect and aggressive behavior. However, little is known about possible reciprocal relationships among discrimination, disrespect sensitivity, and aggression. This study investigated these reciprocal relationships and whether they vary by sex in predominantly African American youth. A total of 75 urban adolescents (52% female; 97% African American) reported on perceived disrespect sensitivity, racial discrimination, and aggression at two time points (average ages 16.1, SD = 1.11 and 17.8, SD = 1.14). Results from an autoregressive cross-lagged model indicated that racial discrimination at age 16 predicted greater disrespect sensitivity at age 18, whereas greater disrespect sensitivity predicted lower levels of racial discrimination over time. Analyses of sex differences showed that sensitivity to disrespect predicted lower levels of racial discrimination more strongly in females compared to males. These findings may inform interventions for African American adolescents who experience racial discrimination.

Impact of a Summer Nutrition and Physical Activity Intervention to Attenuate Obesity in Urban African-American Youth

Improved eating behaviors and daily participation in physical activity such as swimming might abate the likelihood of African American youth becoming obese. Yet many African American youth neither consume the recommended daily servings of nutritious foods nor know how to swim. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a culturally tailored multicomponent summer intervention to reduce obesity and unintentional drownings among underserved African American youth. Children (n = 145) participated in a three-hour, community-based intervention for four weeks. Measures of children’s attitudes perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms toward swimming, nutrition, and physical fitness were taken at baseline and 4 weeks later (n = 47). The only post-intervention significant finding indicated an improvement in children’s skillfulness in floating on their back without help. The limited changes in this multi-component program suggested that such interventions need to be longer in duration, intensity, and be required to reduce attrition.

The roles of suspensions for minor infractions and school climate in predicting academic performance among adolescents.

African American adolescents are grossly overrepresented in rates of school suspensions for minor disciplinary infractions; however, the consequences associated with this disciplinary practice are unknown. African American adolescents who were suspended for minor infractions may perceive school rules and adults as unfair and illegitimate, and these poor perceptions toward school may compromise their social and interpersonal resources necessary for academic success. The present study investigates: (a) whether suspensions for minor infractions predict lower school grades longitudinally, and (b) whether poor school climate perceptions mediate the longitudinal link between suspensions for minor infractions and school grades. Based on 3 years of school records and social survey data from 2,381 adolescents (35% African American, 65% White), results illustrated that more African American adolescents were suspended for minor infractions than their White peers who committed similar infractions. In addition, African American adolescents suspended for minor infractions also had lower grades 1 and 2 years later. The longitudinal relation between suspensions for minor infractions and subsequent grades was partially mediated by African American adolescents' school climate perceptions. Implications are discussed in relation to racial biases and developmentally appropriate, equitable disciplinary practices. Public Significance Statement: The present study shows that more African American youth are suspended for minor infractions than White youth. In addition, these suspensions predicted poor school grades and school climate perceptions for African American youth. These findings raise concerns about school adults' discretion in using punitive school discipline policies and practices, as they may be contributing to academic disparities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Affective Orientation and School Persistence Among African American Youth: Implications for Afrocentric Youth Research and Practice

Affective Orientation and School Persistence Among African American Youth: Implications for Afrocentric Youth Research and Practice

Working Harder than Others to Prove Yourself: High-Effort Coping as a Buffer between Teacher-Perpetrated Racial Discrimination and Mental Health among Black American Adolescents.

High-effort coping (feeling like one must work harder than others to succeed due to anticipated discrimination) is an understudied concept in adolescence. The current study examined among Black American adolescents surveyed in eighth and 11th grade (N = 630, 49% female) how high-effort coping moderated the relations between teacher-perpetrated racial discrimination and psychological distress across time, and whether the buffering role of high-effort coping varied by adolescent gender and socioeconomic status. Experiencing racial discrimination from teachers in eighth grade was positively related with depressive symptoms, anger, and suicidal ideation in 11th grade. High-effort coping buffered against teacher discrimination for suicidal ideation among low socioeconomic status youth, as well as for anger among high socioeconomic status youth. Findings underscore the harmful influence of racial discrimination on Black American adolescents' mental health, as well as suggest that among certain subpopulations, high-effort coping may be one psychologically protective resource through which Black American youth retain positive feelings that are undermined by racial discrimination, and thus promote mental well-being.